The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) expressed disappointment over the ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’, originally aimed at showcasing India’s technological advancements but marred by fraudulent showcases. The party criticized a private educational institution for presenting foreign-made products as indigenous innovations, leading to global embarrassment. The editorial in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ took a dig at the BJP-led government for its event-centric approach, highlighting the controversy surrounding the summit.
The editorial highlighted that Galgotias University, during the summit, misrepresented a robotic dog and a ‘Soccer Drone’ as their creations, which were actually products from Chinese and South Korean firms, respectively. This misrepresentation led to the government cutting power to the university’s stall and asking its representatives to leave immediately. The incident also drew attention to a lack of oversight, with even a Union Minister sharing misleading content on social media.
Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s introduction of the ‘MANAV’ Vision for Artificial Intelligence ethics at the summit, the fraudulent displays overshadowed the event’s purpose. The Shiv Sena criticized the summit for failing to demonstrate India’s true strength in AI and instead exposing mismanagement and a reliance on foreign innovations.
