Galgotias University Stall Vacated at India AI Summit After ‘Chinese Robodog’ Controversy; MeitY Issues Stern Warning

NEW DELHI, Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026: In a major development at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Galgotias University has been forced to vacate its exhibition stall at Bharat Mandapam. The action follows a massive social media backlash over a robotic dog displayed at their pavilion, which was falsely presented as an in-house innovation.

1. The Controversy: ‘Orion’ vs. Unitree Go2

The row erupted after a video of Professor Neha Singh from Galgotias University went viral. In the clip, she introduced a robotic dog named "Orion", stating it was developed by the University’s Centre of Excellence under a ₹350 crore AI initiative.

The Exposure: Tech enthusiasts quickly identified "Orion" as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available quadruped robot manufactured by Chinese firm Unitree Robotics, retailing for about $2,800 (₹2.3 lakh).
The Backlash: Critics accused the university of plagiarism and "rebranding" imported technology as indigenous (Swadeshi) innovation at a flagship national event.

2. Government Action: Stall Vacated & Power Cut

As the controversy overshadowed other genuine innovations at the summit, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) took decisive action:

Stall Closure: Government sources confirmed that the university was asked to exit the expo area immediately.
Power Cut: Reports indicate that power to the Galgotias pavilion was cut off as officials looked to prevent further misinformation.
Official Quote: IT Secretary S. Krishnan stated, "We want genuine work to be exhibited. Plagiarism and misleading claims cannot be encouraged at a platform meant for global innovation."

3. University’s Clarification: "Miscommunication"

Following the uproar, Galgotias University issued a statement clarifying that they did not build the robot.

The Defense: Registrar Nitin Kumar Gaur and Professor Neha Singh claimed there was a "jumble of words" and that they only intended to show the robot as a research tool for students.
The Quote: "Galgotias has not built this robodog... we bought it to inspire our students to create something better in the future," the university stated on X (formerly Twitter).

4. Impact on the Summit

While the incident became a "PR spectacle" criticized by opposition leaders, MeitY Additional Secretary Abhishek Singh noted that the main problem was misleading the public when "the whole world is watching."

Schedule Update: Due to the overwhelming response (and to ensure security after such incidents), the IndiaAI Expo has been extended by one more day to February 21 (Saturday). However, it will remain closed on February 19 for a VVIP audit.

Summary for Readers:

What Happened: Galgotias University presented a Chinese robot as their own.
The Result: Stall vacated, power cut, and a public apology/clarification issued.
Current Status: The university has left the expo; the summit continues with a focus on genuine Indian startups.