Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:38pm on 17 Feb 2026,Tuesday India
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw issued a public apology on Tuesday after the opening day of India's AI Impact Summit 2026 billed as the "world's largest artificial intelligence summit" descended into operational chaos at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam. Over 70,000 attendees faced crushing overcrowding, long queues, unclear instructions, stolen exhibitor equipment, and near-dead mobile connectivity. Most disturbingly, startup CEO Dhananjay Yadav reported his AI wearables were stolen from inside a high-security zone cleared ahead of PM Modi's visit with security personnel having sole access. Entrepreneurs publicly called out "optics over execution," with exhibitors locked out of their own stalls. Vaishnaw promised a war room, smoother coordination, and a better experience for remaining days.
