New Delhi
Amid the uproar over alleged mismanagement and chaos at the ongoing India AI Summit at Bharat Mandapam, former Information Technology minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday mounted a strong defence of what he described as the largest ever Artificial Intelligence congregation hosted by India.
The summit, held at the iconic Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, brought together technology giants, policymakers, industry leaders and innovators from across the globe for extensive deliberations on Artificial Intelligence and deep-tech advancements.
Chandrasekhar drew comparisons between AI summits conducted in India and those organised in Europe and other regions over the past two years. He underscored the scale and intensity of participation at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, stating that the event had already attracted reported attendance of over 300,000 participants. In contrast, he noted that previous summits elsewhere recorded participation only in the hundreds or a few thousands.
According to data shared by him, an AI Summit at Bletchley Park in the United Kingdom in November 2023 saw attendance in the hundreds. Similarly, a summit in Seoul, South Korea, in May 2024 witnessed limited participation, much of it through hybrid formats. Another gathering in Paris, France, in February 2025 drew a few thousand AI experts and enthusiasts, marking moderate engagement compared to India’s scale.
He argued that the unprecedented turnout in India may have contributed to logistical challenges at the venue. Chandrasekhar maintained that the summit demonstrated India’s growing stature in the global technology ecosystem and showcased its ability to harness innovation for the benefit of its 1.4 crore citizens.
However, the first-of-its-kind AI Summit also provided the Opposition with an opportunity to criticise the government, accusing it of inept and inefficient management. The controversy gained traction on social media, with netizens expressing mixed reactions. The Congress party launched a sharp attack, alleging that Artificial Intelligence, instead of being the highlight of the event, became a victim of a PR-hungry government, intensifying the political debate surrounding the summit.