Controversy, Capital, Caution: Day 3 of IndiaAI Summit Packs High Drama and Big Deals

Wednesday unfolded as one of the most eventful days yet at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, with controversy grabbing global headlines alongside heavyweight corporate announcements.

Since its opening, each day of the summit has generated bad PR. Day 1 saw logistical chaos at the venue. Day 2 brought a ministerial apology. Day 3 was dominated by a row involving Galgotias University and a robotic dog displayed at the expo.

Summit Extended; Expo Closed for VVIP Day

Organisers announced that the summit would be extended until February 21 to allow students and the public to visit the expo without disruption from VVIP movements. However, the expo will remain closed to the public on Thursday due to a heavy line-up of global technology leaders and an inauguration event by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the India AI Impact Expo at Bharat Mandapam, which features over 600 startups and 13 country pavilions. More than 20 heads of state, 60 ministers and 500 global AI leaders are attending the summit.

On Wednesday, PM Modi also met Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent Alphabet Inc., to discuss India’s AI ambitions and collaboration opportunities for students and professionals.

Tomorrow—the most critical day of the summit—the prime minister is set to formally inaugurate the summit, followed by keynote addresses by Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, Sir Demis Hassabis, Dario Amodei, Yan LeCun, Mukesh D Ambani, Bill Gates, and Brad Smith, among others.

Galgotias Stall Ordered to Vacate

Sources told AIM that Galgotias University was asked to vacate its stall immediately after controversy erupted over its robotic dog, labelled “Orion”. Critics alleged the machine was, in fact, a Chinese-made Unitree Go2, rather than an in-house innovation.

The university faced significant online backlash, with accusations of misrepresenting imported technology as its own creation. It later issued a clarification.

Addressing the issue, Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at MeitY and CEO of the India AI Mission, said, “The main problem is they claimed to be something they are not. They misled. The whole world is here.”

Sarvam AI Launches Chatbot, Two LLMs

Just a day after BharatGen launched its multilingual model, Sarvam AI introduced its chatbot, Vikram, capable of conversing fluently in multiple Indian languages, at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The model has been named in honour of Vikram Sarabhai. The demo highlighted how the system handles colloquial phrases and mixed-language usage, reflecting everyday speech patterns common across India.

The emphasis, Co-founder Pratyush Kumar stressed, is on serving local users rather than building tools solely for global benchmarks.

Moreover, the company has also launched two large language models—Sarvam 30B and Sarvam 105B—showcasing tools designed specifically for Indian languages and real-world affordability. 

Major Investments

The day also saw a flurry of announcements.

Microsoft said it is on course to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to expand AI access across the “Global South”. The company had previously announced $17.5 billion in AI investments in India.

Nvidia unveiled partnerships with Indian computing firms, including a tie-up with L&T to build what was described as “India’s largest gigawatt-scale AI factory”. Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, though absent from the summit, said in a statement that the initiative would lay the foundation for world-class AI infrastructure, though no investment figure was disclosed.

Meanwhile, Google announced plans to build new subsea cables connecting India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia, alongside additional fibre routes linking India and the United States, as part of its five-year $15-billion investment in the country.

Cautious Optimism on AI’s Future

Speaking at a packed session, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, struck a note of “cautious optimism”. He said AI could transform science and medicine, but warned that managing societal challenges would require international cooperation. He suggested Artificial General Intelligence could emerge within five to eight years, calling the moment a “threshold” for humanity.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi added that AI-driven technologies could help manage grid stability as India rapidly expands renewable energy capacity, particularly during fluctuations in solar generation.

From controversy to capital inflows, Day 3 underscored both the promise and the growing pains of India’s AI ambitions.