Earlier in the morning of Februrary 18, the university was asked to leave the India AI Impact Summit Expo immediately after a robodog “Orion” at its booth was found to be Chinese-made, government sources said.
The power of the pavilion was reportedly cut after the government had asked the university to vacate.
#WATCH | Delhi | Galgotias University staff and officials vacate their stall at India AI Impact Summit expo, following row over display of Chinese-made robodog.
As per sources, the govt had asked Galgotias University to vacate the stall at the expo. pic.twitter.com/cqN5vBcgcN— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2026
On the controversy, S Krishnan, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary had said that the expo is to showcase innovation and it should not be used in any other fashion. “We don’t want a controversy about exhibits which are present. I think it’s essential that a set code is followed there. Our intention is to encourage. Somebody with plagiarism or misinformation cannot be encouraged.”
“Misinformation cannot be encouraged. We don’t want controversy around exhibits in the Expo. So I’m not getting into whether they are right or wrong,” Krishnan added.
A day earlier Galgotias University had issued a clarification after criticism over the robotic dog displayed at the AI Impact Summit, stating that it never claimed to have developed the device and that it was purchased from a Chinese robotics company Unitree for academic use.
“Let us be clear — Galgotias has not built this robodog, neither have we claimed. But what we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies right here in Bharat,” Galgotias University said in a statement on X.
“From the United States to China, from Singapore to every global hub of innovation, we have consistently brought cutting-edge technologies to our campus. Why? Because exposure creates vision. And vision creates creators,” it added.
The university further clarified that the Robodog was “not merely a machine on display — it is a classroom in motion.”
— Galgotias University (@GalgotiasGU) February 17, 2026
Our students are experimenting with it, testing its limits, and in the process, expanding their own knowledge, the University said.
Social media backlash
The University faced online criticism after showcasing the robotic dog at the summit, with some social media users alleging that the imported device was being presented as an indigenous innovation.
A university professor, later identified as Neha Singh, in an interview at the Summit with DD National, had claimed that the robot was built at Galgotias University’s Centre of Excellence.
Have some shame, in this video ur Professor is clearly saying that it’s developed by Galgotias University. pic.twitter.com/xt5MkL8KEN
— Aniruddh Sharma (@AniruddhINC) February 17, 2026
Read more: AI Impact Summit 2026: Restricted access for two days, expo area open till 8 pm
It added that it would continue sourcing advanced tools globally to strengthen hands-on education and support long-term indigenous innovation.
Later on February 18, the professor took accountability of the matter and said that the university has not removed the branding of the robot, adding that they cannot claim it.
“The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly. I take accountability that perhaps I did not communicate it properly, as it was done with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, so I may not have come across as eloquently as I usually do,” she told news agency PTI.
“Also, the intent may not have been properly understood. One important point is regarding the robot dog—we cannot claim that we manufactured it. I have told everyone that we introduced it to our students to inspire them to create something better on their own… Our university contributes to building future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in the field of AI, and it will continue to do so,” she added.
Responding to question on whether the government asked the university to vacate the expo area, she said, “I do not have any information about that. What I know is that today we are all present here.”
University says propaganda against it can harm students
In a separate statement, the university said that there is a propaganda campaign against it after the AI Summit fiasco.
“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,” it said.
“Spreading negativity can harm the morale of students, who are working hard to innovate, learn, and build their skills using global technologies,” it added.
Read more: India AI summit: Someone with 15–20 years of experience risks becoming ‘unemployable’, says Vinod Khosla
