A major controversy erupted at the **India AI Impact Summit 2026** held in New Delhi on February 18, when **Galgotias University** (Greater Noida) faced protests for displaying a robotic dog named “Orion” at its expo stall. In a viral video, Professor Neha Singh (from the Department of Communication, School of Management) was seen introducing the four-legged robot, saying that it has been “developed by the Center of Excellence, Galgotias University.” Social media users immediately identified it as **Unitri Go2**, a commercially available model from Chinese firm Unitri Robotics, which is priced around ₹2-3 lakh in India.
The incident led to allegations of misinformation, especially as the summit was focusing on indigenous AI under the IndiaAI Mission and Digital India. Critics pointed out the oddity of presenting imported tech as homegrown innovation at a flagship event promoting Indian AI capabilities.
Government sources (via Reuters, PTI, ANI, NDTV, Times of India, BBC, and others) reported that officials asked the university to immediately vacate its stall. Power to the booth was cut off, barricades were erected, and the staff left the location. The robot was removed from display.
**Galgotiya University** denied the claim of making the robot, and attributed the uproar to misinterpretation. Registrar **Nitin Kumar Gaur** told ANI that the confusion arose from “develop” versus “development”—he used it not for “developed” but for “development” (research/programming) by students. He said it was purchased for hands-on exposure to AI/robotics in his lab.
Professor Neha Singh clarified that she never described it as a genuine Indian or university invention, insisting that it was brought to the Expo for research and projection by students. The university issued an official statement condemning the “propaganda campaign,” emphasizing that robotic programming uses global tools to build real-world AI skills.
**India AI Impact Summit** (a five-day event at Bharat Mandapam) brings together policymakers, tech leaders, innovators and academics on the basis of “People, Planet and Progress” to drive actionable AI outcomes.
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