India’s AI Identity Crisis: Mirage of Progress

While the five-day summit was billed as a sophisticated international milestone, its operational integrity evaporated on the very first day.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | February 18, 2026

The India AI Impact Summit was inaugurated with the kind of soaring, messianic rhetoric typically reserved for a nation positioning itself as the world’s next technological titan. Framed as a landmark gathering—the first major international AI summit hosted in the Global South—the event in New Delhi was intended to be a victory lap for “Indian innovation.”

Instead, the proceedings dissolved into a high-tech theatre of the absurd. Within hours, the facade of manufactured progress was punctured by operational collapse, blatant hardware fraud, and a burgeoning identity crisis. What was meant to be a showcase of sovereign progress descended into a chaotic display that critics have labeled a “disorganized PR spectacle,” exposing an existential indictment of the substance behind the political veneer.

1. Takeaway 1: The “Orion” Incident — When Foreign Hardware Masks Domestic Innovation

The summit’s credibility suffered a catastrophic blow following a scandal involving Galgotias University. The private institution was ordered to vacate its stall “immediately” after it was discovered that “Orion,” a robotic dog showcased as a symbol of domestic prowess, was actually a Chinese-made Unitree Go2. While the university scrambled to issue denials, the investigative reality is more damning: video clips circulating online capture a representative claiming the innovation on camera, a move that turned the expo floor into a site of international ridicule.

Most egregious, however, was the role of high-ranking officials. Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was explicitly accused by critics of “indulging in falsehood” by promoting these Chinese robots as evidence of Indian advancement. This “identity crisis” is a profound embarrassment for a nation aiming for AI sovereignty, suggesting a desperate rush to project competence where the underlying R&D is functionally non-existent.

“The Modi government has made a laughing stock of India globally, with regard to AI. In the ongoing AI summit, Chinese robots are being displayed as our own. The Chinese media has mocked us. This is truly embarrassing for India… Brazenly shameless.” — Statement from the Congress Party

2. Takeaway 2: A Landmark Event or a Logistical Nightmare?

While the five-day summit was billed as a sophisticated international milestone, its operational integrity evaporated on the very first day. The disconnect between the government’s narrative and the lived experience of the attendees suggests a failure to provide even the basic infrastructure required for a high-stakes technology conference. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s critique cut deeper than mere logistics, framing the event as a “disorganized PR spectacle” where “Indian data is up for sale” while Chinese products are showcased in its stead.

The collapse of the opening day was defined by:

• Overcrowding and Systemic Confusion: Participants faced hours of queues and extreme congestion, with the venue failing to accommodate the invited volume of global leaders.
• Resource Scarcity: In a display of staggering incompetence, reports surfaced of limited access to fundamental necessities like food and water for exhibitors and guests.
• Security Failures: The environment was so poorly managed that exhibitors reported products being stolen directly from their stalls during the summit.

3. Takeaway 3: The “Body Shop” Trap — Survival Over Evolution

Beyond the immediate chaos of the expo floor lies a more systemic threat: the precarious state of India’s traditional IT sector. The industry has reached a “point of no return,” struggling to pivot from the labor-intensive “body shop” model to AI-driven platform services. This is not a natural evolution; it is a desperate struggle for existence.

The harsh reality is that India currently possesses no local AI development. Even the nation’s tech professionals are reportedly struggling with the basic implementation of consumer-grade tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini. This lack of technical literacy at the foundational level suggests that the nation’s “data power” is being squandered while the workforce remains tethered to outdated service models.

“The transition from the traditional ‘body shop’ labor-intensive model to AI-driven platform services is a matter of survival, not merely an evolutionary step.” — Excerpts from “RMN Digital report“

4. Takeaway 4: The Rhetoric Gap — Global Ambition vs. Local Competence

The summit highlighted a vitriolic divide between Prime Minister Modi’s inauguration speech—where he claimed India is shaping solutions “for the world”—and the findings of the “Smokescreen 2026” political research report. The report asserts that the AI hype is a calculated facade, a “smokescreen” designed to hoodwink the public while the regime carries out “election manipulation.”

The political tension has reached a boiling point, with the opposition presenting an aggressive critique of the administration’s technical depth. The contrast is stark: the government promotes a narrative of “extraordinary potential,” while critics describe the leadership as “clueless about technology” and “illiterate and uncivilized politicians” who have reduced a field of global importance to a national joke. This is no longer just a policy debate; it is a battle over whether the state is “indulging in falsehood” to mask a total lack of genuine AI competence.

Beyond the Spectacle

The India AI Impact Summit (16 February 2026 – 20 February 2026) was intended to be a coronation of a burgeoning tech superpower. Instead, it provided a chilling look at the cracks in the foundation. Between the “Orion” fraud, the logistical collapse of a five-day event on its first morning, and the documented absence of local AI innovation, the “Smokescreen” appears to be thinning. The central question remains: Can India truly transition from a data-rich nation to an AI-ready powerhouse if its leadership remains more interested in the theatre of progress than the hard infrastructure of transparency and genuine R&D? Without addressing these fundamental issues, the nation risks remaining caught in a high-tech mirage of its own making.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning technology journalist and editor of RMN news sites. He is presently engaged in the development of Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) applications and the exploration of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) frameworks.

He contributed a regular technology business column to The Financial Express, part of The Indian Express Group. He was also associated with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businesses leverage technology for brand development and international growth.