NEW DELHI: Galgotias University has been directed to vacate its Expo area stall at the India AI Impact Summit following a controversy over the display of a China-made robotic dog, government sources said on Wednesday (Feb 18).
The action follows the circulation of a viral video in which the robot was allegedly presented as being developed under the university’s Centre of Excellence programme.
The robotic dog was later identified as a product acquired from Chinese robotics firm Unitree, triggering criticism online and questions over how the device was described at the summit.
The development comes during the high-profile India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, which has drawn global participation and is being positioned as a major platform to showcase India’s artificial intelligence ambitions.
Viral video fuels controversy
The controversy intensified after a video circulated widely on social media showing a university faculty member introducing the robot, referred to as "Orion", and explaining its features at the expo.
Neha, a communications faculty member at the School of Management, said the episode stemmed from a misunderstanding.
"By one misinterpretation, the internet has gone by storm. It might be that I could not convey well what I had wanted to say, or you could not understand well what I wanted to say.
"I am a faculty member in communications at the School of Management, not in AI," she said.
She added that, as far as she was aware, the university had not received formal communication about being asked to vacate the stall.
“Only you (the media) have heard what the government has said, as far as I know we are here at the expo. As a university, we are standing tall. The robot was brought here only for projection,” she said.
Earlier, Galgotias University Professor Dr Aishwarya Shrivastava said the institution had not claimed to have manufactured the robotic dog.
“We never claimed that we manufactured it (robodog), it was only a part of our AI investment. It got misinterpreted in a big way,” she said.
When asked about reports that the university had been asked to vacate the expo premises, she said, "As of now, we have no such information."
University says robot was not built in-house
The university had earlier issued an official clarification expressing concern over what it described as a "propaganda campaign" against the institution.
In a statement, it said robotic programming formed part of its efforts to train students in artificial intelligence applications using "globally available tools and resources".
"We at Galgotias, faculty and students, are deeply pained by the propaganda campaign against our university.
"We would like to clearly state that the robotic programming is part of our endeavour to make students learn AI programming and develop & deploy real world skills using globally available tools and resources, given developing AI talent is need of an hour," the statement read.
The university added that its vision centred on student learning and innovation, and warned that "spreading negativity can harm the morale of students".
AI Impact Summit under global spotlight
The India AI Impact Summit is a five-day programme built around three core pillars – People, Planet and Progress.
It has drawn over 20 Heads of State, 60 ministers and 500 global AI leaders, making it the first major global AI gathering to be hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam on Monday.
In his remarks, he underlined that India’s advances in artificial intelligence would shape transformative solutions domestically while contributing to global progress.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver the inaugural address on Feb 19, outlining India’s vision for inclusive and development-oriented AI cooperation. - The Statesman/ANN
