Galgotias University Ousted from India AI Summit After Displaying Chinese Robot Dog as Indigenous Innovation

Galgotias University has been expelled from the India AI Impact Summit 2026 following a public backlash over its misleading presentation of a Chinese-made Unitree Go2 robot dog as an indigenous Indian innovation. The incident, captured in a viral video, showed university officials presenting the robotic quadruped — a product commercially available since 2023 and manufactured by the Shenzhen-based company Unitree Robotics — as a product of local R&D. According to The Times of India, the university’s display at the summit, held in Noida, triggered immediate condemnation from tech communities, journalists, and government officials.

Within hours of the video’s circulation on social media, the controversy escalated into a national debate over authenticity in India’s emerging AI landscape. Critics pointed out the stark contrast between the university’s claims and the visible branding on the robot’s chassis, which clearly bore the Unitree logo and Chinese serial numbers. Social media users compared the incident to past cases of intellectual misrepresentation in academic and corporate settings, with hashtags like #GalgotiasRobotScam and #RealInnovationIndia trending across platforms.

Responding to mounting pressure, organizers of the India AI Impact Summit issued a formal statement on Thursday, confirming that Galgotias University had been asked to vacate its exhibition booth immediately. The Hindu reported that summit organizers cited violations of ethical guidelines prohibiting the misrepresentation of foreign technology as domestic breakthroughs. "The summit is a platform to celebrate authentic innovation," the statement read. "Misleading claims undermine public trust and devalue genuine Indian contributions to AI and robotics."

Galgotias University initially attempted to defend its actions, claiming in a statement to NDTV that the robot was used only for "demonstration purposes" and that it had "neither built nor claimed ownership" of the hardware. However, this clarification came after the university’s official summit materials, promotional videos, and press releases had explicitly labeled the robot as an "Indian AI innovation" developed in collaboration with local engineers — a claim contradicted by publicly available product documentation from Unitree Robotics.

The incident has ignited broader concerns about the pressures facing Indian academic institutions to appear at the forefront of global technological trends. Experts warn that such misrepresentations, while isolated, erode the credibility of India’s burgeoning tech ecosystem. "When institutions prioritize optics over integrity, they harm not only their own reputation but also the collective trust in India’s innovation narrative," said Dr. Anjali Mehta, a technology ethics researcher at the Indian Institute of Science.

As of Friday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has reportedly initiated a review of all exhibitor claims at the summit, with potential implications for future funding and accreditation. Meanwhile, Unitree Robotics issued a brief statement confirming the robot’s origin and expressing surprise at its misrepresentation. "We support global adoption of our technology, but not its misattribution," the company said.

The fallout has prompted calls from student groups and civil society organizations for stricter oversight of academic innovation disclosures. Several universities have since pledged to implement third-party verification protocols for all public technology demonstrations. For now, the Galgotias incident stands as a cautionary tale — not about the import of foreign technology, but about the critical importance of transparency in the pursuit of national technological advancement.