Galgotias University ordered to vacate India AI Summit venue amid row over China-bought robot dog
The robot dog presented by Galgotias University as their own at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 was found to be manufactured by a Chinese company named Unitree. This triggered intense backlash and ultimately action from the Centre.
Galgotias University has been asked to vacate its stall at the expo area of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi after a controversy erupted over the display of a robotic dog, sources said.
The Greater Noida-based institution faced swift action after a video from the event went viral on social media on Tuesday. In the clip, representatives of the university were seen presenting a robotic dog as a product developed by its Centre of Excellence.
Robot was China-made, claimed their own by Galgotias
The robot was identified as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available model manufactured by Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics. The device is sold online in India at prices ranging between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh.
At the summit, the robot was displayed under the name "Orion". In one widely circulated video, a woman identified in reports as a university representative described the machine’s features during a media interaction and stated that it had been developed by the university’s Centre of Excellence.
In a separate clip, a professor from the university made a similar claim, telling a reporter that the robot had been built at the Centre of Excellence.
Netizens spot lie, call out Galgotias
Social media users subsequently identified the machine as the imported Unitree Go2 and accused the university of presenting foreign technology as an in house innovation.
Failed to communicate it properly, says professor
Reacting over the row, Professor Neha Singh, who gave the presentation on behalf of Galgotias University in the summit, said that she takes the responsibility of the faux pas. Singh said she failed to convey the things properly in excitement.
“The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly. I take accountability that perhaps I did not communicate it properly, as it was done with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, so I may not have come across as eloquently as I usually do. Also, the intent may not have been properly understood. One important point is regarding the robot dog—we cannot claim that we manufactured it. I have told everyone that we introduced it to our students to inspire them to create something better on their own. Our university contributes to building future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in the field of AI, and it will continue to do so,” she said.
On being asked if the government has asked them to vacate the expo area, Neha Singh said she was not aware of the development.
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