India’s much‑anticipated AI Impact Summit, billed as a milestone gathering of global leaders, policymakers and technology executives, opened on Monday amid widespread confusion, long queues and complaints of poor crowd management at the Bharat Mandapam convention center.

The five‑day summit, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promoted as the first major international AI meeting hosted in the Global South, drew participants from more than 100 countries and was slated to feature top industry figures including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. But the inaugural day’s logistical problems overshadowed the leaders’ remarks and left many exhibitors, delegates and speakers frustrated.

“Gates closed and we couldn’t get to our booth,” Maitreya Wagh, co‑founder of voice AI start‑up Bolna, posted on X, describing how he was unable to access his company’s exhibition space after security seals and last‑minute closures left teams stranded outside. Others reported having products stolen from stalls and limited access to food and water during extended waits.

Attendees described queues that began as early as 7 a.m., followed by prolonged delays and, in some instances, full evacuations of exhibition halls ahead of the prime minister’s arrival. Punit Jain, founder of reskilling platform Reskill, said the day included “7 AM queues” and hours of waiting before the disruptions. Social media quickly filled with accounts from founders, exhibitors and delegates complaining about inconsistent access and unclear procedures.

Reuters and other outlets reported that some scheduled speakers were still awaiting confirmation of session timing as the day progressed, intensifying concerns about event mismanagement just as panels and discussions were set to begin.

At the inauguration, Modi framed the summit as an opportunity to highlight “the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation,” saying India sought to shape AI solutions “not just for India but for the world.” India’s Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who later issued an apology to exhibitors on Tuesday “for any issue or inconvenience,” emphasized the summit’s dual focus on AI’s promise and risks. “In the next few days, we are basically looking at and measuring what [AI’s] impact on human society is going to be,” he said.

Organizers have positioned the summit as a showcase for technology, regulation and collaboration in the Global South, arguing that India can play a leading role in shaping equitable AI governance and deployment. Yet the opening day’s operational failings risked undermining that message, prompting calls from participants for clearer crowd management, better communications and improved logistics for the remaining days.

As the summit proceeds, attention will fall both on the high‑profile speakers and on whether organizers can steady operations and deliver the streamlined environment delegates expect for high‑stakes policy and business discussions.