Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has intensified his criticism of the Narendra Modi-led government following a controversy at the AI Impact Summit 2026, where a robot dog displayed by Galgotias University was alleged to be a Chinese product rather than an indigenous innovation. Taking to social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi described the event as a disorganised PR spectacle, accusing the government of promoting Chinese technology instead of leveraging India’s talent and data strength in artificial intelligence.
The row erupted after Galgotias University showcased a surveillance robot named Orion at AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. A university representative claimed the robodog was part of a Rs 350-crore AI initiative. However, online users soon identified the device as the Unitree Go2, a Chinese-manufactured quadruped robot commercially available for purchase. The revelation triggered a political storm, with the Congress alleging that the government had turned India into a global laughing stock in the field of artificial intelligence.
The controversy deepened after the Congress accused Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw of sharing promotional content featuring the robot during the summit. According to the party, such endorsements amounted to promoting foreign products as Indian achievements. The university later issued a clarification stating it had not claimed the robodog as its own innovation, but social media users countered this with archived clips and community notes challenging the explanation.
Rahul Gandhi stated that instead of positioning India as a leader in AI through sovereign models and homegrown innovation, the summit ended up showcasing imported technology. He alleged that Indian data and engineering capabilities were not being effectively utilised and accused the government of prioritising optics over substance.
The Congress further claimed that the incident damaged India’s credibility internationally, particularly as China-based media reportedly highlighted the episode. The opposition party termed the episode brazenly shameless and said India had the potential to lead the AI revolution given its vast data ecosystem and technical workforce.
Amid mounting criticism, reports suggested that authorities asked Galgotias University to vacate the summit premises, though the university stated it had not received formal communication regarding the move at the time of reporting. The incident has sparked wider debates on innovation authenticity, branding of foreign technology, and the political optics surrounding India’s AI ambitions.
The AI Impact Summit 2026 was intended to position India as a major global player in artificial intelligence, highlighting sovereign AI models and digital infrastructure advancements. Instead, the robodog controversy has overshadowed the event, turning it into a flashpoint between the Congress and the ruling BJP government. With artificial intelligence emerging as a key battleground in both global technology leadership and domestic political narratives, the controversy is likely to fuel further debates over transparency, innovation, and national technological credibility in the coming weeks.
