NEW DELHI, February 2026 — The India AI Impact Summit witnessed a dramatic shutdown today as Galgotias University was forced to vacate its stall following a viral scandal. What was intended to be a showcase of academic innovation turned into a PR disaster after claims that a sophisticated “Robo-Dog” was a student-made invention were exposed as “patently false”.

The Viral Exposure: From “Developed” to “Procured”

The controversy ignited when a video of a university representative claiming the robotic dog was “developed” by students at the university’s Center for Excellence went viral. Tech enthusiasts and social media investigators quickly identified the machine as a commercial product from China, rather than an original engineering feat from the Greater Noida-based campus.

Within hours of the backlash on platforms like X, summit authorities intervened. Witnesses described a “lights out” scene at the pavilion as students and faculty were ordered to pack up their displays and exit the premises.

The University’s Defense: “Hither and Thither” Eloquence

In an exclusive confrontation at the closing stall, University Professor Niha expressed “regret” for the misunderstanding but stopped short of admitting intentional fraud. She attributed the confusion to “euphoria and buzz,” suggesting that her words were misinterpreted due to the high-energy environment of the summit.

The university’s defense hinged on a semantic pivot:

• The “Investment” Argument: The university claimed the robot was an “investment” meant for students to study “anatomy, engineering, and software”.
• The “Development” Claim: Officials argued that “developing” referred to students potentially adding software features or studying the technology, rather than manufacturing the hardware.
• The Branding Issue: Despite the backlash, the university maintained they “never changed the branding” of the machine, even if the verbal claims suggested otherwise.

Backtracking Under Pressure

Critics have been quick to point out that the university’s “clarifications” only arrived after the deception was caught in broad daylight. If not for the social media storm, the prevailing headline would have likely credited the university with a major robotics breakthrough.

The incident has created a massive trust gap, with observers questioning how many other “innovations” at such summits are merely rebadged commercial products. While the university urged the public to look at other student-led startups and applications, the shadow of the Robo-Dog looms large.

Bottom Line

The Galgotias incident has stripped away the “euphoria” of the AI summit to reveal a harsh reality: in the rush to appear as a “Tier One” player in technology, some institutions are taking shortcuts. Much like the fantasy gaming bubble, the “Robo-Dog” saga was an illusion of achievement—one that was never about original engineering, but about selling a vision of progress that wasn’t actually there.