Planning to attend India AI Impact Summit on Feb 18-19? Know about restricted access for delegates

Delegates attending the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi will face restricted access over the next two days owing to VIP movements and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence at the venue, PTI reported on Tuesday, citing senior government officials.

According to officials from the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), delegates will be required to vacate the main convention area by 4:30 pm on February 18 as the Prime Minister is scheduled to host a dinner for state guests and business leaders after 6 pm.

Digital India Managing Director and CEO Akhil Kumar told reporters that while the convention area will close early, the AI Expo section will remain open till 8 pm from February 18 onwards in view of the overwhelming response from participants.

"Delegates can move to the expo area after vacating the convention area. Exit will be only through Gate 4 throughout the day," Kumar said.

Delegates arriving by car or cab will be permitted entry through Gate 4 from 8 am onwards. Those arriving by Metro can enter through Gate 10 between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

An official advisory note stated that intermittent traffic restrictions may be experienced between 4 pm and 11 pm in and around the ITPO area.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the main summit on February 19, and there will be restricted entry during the morning hours of the inaugural session.

“Expo area will open for all delegates from 11 am onward on February 19, including the media centre in Hall 1,” Kumar said.

The summit, billed as the world’s largest artificial intelligence gathering, opened on Monday to packed halls and long queues.

The first day saw widespread complaints from delegates over overcrowding, unclear instructions and organisational lapses.

Mobile data connectivity issues and confusion over access procedures added to the challenges.

Several attendees said the exhibition building was abruptly cleared ahead of security sweeps for high-level arrivals, leaving some scrambling to retrieve belongings.

A few exhibitors also reported misplaced or stolen items.

Dhananjay Yadav, CEO of Neo Sapien, took to X to complain about wearables being stolen.

"At 12 noon, security personnel arrived to sanitise and cordon off the area ahead of the visit by PM Modi visit at 2 pm," he wrote. "I explained that we're building India's first patented AI wearable at NeoSapien and requested a chance to showcase it."

"Think about this: We paid for flights, accommodation, logistics and even the booth. Only to see our wearables disappear inside a high-security zone. If only security and official entourage had access, how did this happen? This is extremely disappointing," he wrote.

Entrepreneurs and startup founders took to social media to express their dissatisfaction over access restrictions and coordination gaps. Some speakers due to appear on panels said they were awaiting confirmation of their sessions and agendas.

Journalists covering the summit also reported confusion over digital QR codes and physical passes, with some stating that promised physical passes were not ready for collection.

On Tuesday, Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw apologised for the issues faced by attendees on the opening day.

More than 70,000 people attended the summit on Monday, he said, underlining the scale of participation at what he termed the biggest AI summit in the world.

“This is the biggest AI summit in the entire world. The response is phenomenal. The energy is palpable. We can see the organisation is very smooth now. If anybody has faced any problems yesterday, we apologise for that,” Vaishnaw said at a press conference at the venue.

He added that a dedicated “war room” has been set up to address operational issues and urged participants to share feedback to ensure a smoother experience over the remaining days of the summit.