5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 17, 2026 12:49 PM IST
Day 1 of the AI Impact Summit witnessed considerable confusion and some chaos at Bharat Mandapam, as organisers struggled to manage the massive crowd, while also ensuring the safety and security of the participants alongside coordinating VVIP movements.
Sources said that the event, organised under the supervision of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), had introduced a QR code registration system, through which 2.5 lakh people had registered before the opening day of the event.
This overwhelming response far exceeded estimates of capacity at the venue, and registrations had to be ultimately stopped.
According to an official, Bharat Mandapam witnesses a floating crowd of around 1 lakh people on a single day during the Trade Fair every year. “But on Day 1 of the AI Summit, around 80,000 people arrived at the same time. Simultaneously, a VVIP movement was scheduled, which added to the challenge of managing the crowd. The situation did become somewhat chaotic, but it was later brought under control and managed,” this official said.
The police had made arrangements based on the patterns of deployment of personnel that were made for the G20 Summit that was held at the same venue in 2023. However, there were some key differences that made the challenge tougher this time.
Most importantly, a security officer deployed at the venue said, the G20 Summit was not open to the general public, and the focus of the deployment was on ensuring the safety of VVIPs.
“But here, we have to manage both the general public and VVIPs at the same time. Perhaps the organisers could have briefed the participants about the arrangements a few days before the event began,” the officer said.
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Seeing the large numbers of people around the venue and at the gates, the Delhi Police had called in more personnel to manage the situation during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening.
Afterward, security officials and the organisers held a meeting to ensure greater streamlining of the situation in the four remaining days of the Summit. A number of world leaders, besides titans of the global tech industry are scheduled to attend the event.
“At the meeting, the officials decided to set up more help desks at the venue. The participants and those in charge of the stalls will be briefed prior to the VVIP movements so that they can vacate the venue in an orderly fashion,” another source in the security establishment said.
On the opening day of the AI Impact Summit on Tuesday (February 16), several participants complained that they had to stand in long queues for hours, and that some had remained inside the venue without water and food for an extended period of time – and even after that, some were not allowed to enter due to VVIP movements.
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Some participants complained about the alleged lack of proper arrangements, with no prior intimation of gate numbers or seat allocations to attend the events.
“Everything was going well on Monday. But suddenly, at 2 pm, we were asked to vacate the hall because the Prime Minister had to come for the inauguration. We didn’t expect that to happen, as we had been locked inside for hours with no food or water,” a participant from an AI company said.
This participant expressed apprehension about what might follow during the remainder of the Summit: “We don’t know how the other four days will go.”
Some people complained on social media about the lack of arrangements and security. Punit Jain, founder of Reskilll, posted on X: “An AI Summit that sidelines its own builders? 7 AM queues. 9 AM entry. 12 PM full evacuation. Hours of sanitization. PM visit at 5 PM. Day 1 Ends here. Meanwhile — exhibitors, delegates, startup founders left outside. No water. No clarity.”
https://x.com/punit__jain/status/2023337411594580317?s=20
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“Media shows celebration. Ground reality was chaos. If access was limited to select high-value guests, just say it upfront. Don’t mobilize the ecosystem and then displace them. This is not how we build India’s AI future,” Jain wrote.
Several others shared videos of the chaotic situation, showing long queues, participants arguing with security personnel at the gates, and others walking on the street toward Bharat Mandapam, as no public transport was available.
