Galgotias University Controversy: How a Robot Display sparked National Scrutiny

The controversy surrounding Galgotias University has drawn national attention after an incident that happened at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. The Greater Noida-based private institution was accused of promoting an imported robotic product as a home-grown innovation in one of the greatest government-sponsored technology fairs.

The situation, often referred to as the "Chinese Robo-Dog Row", began to take form quickly on social media and prompted official responses, public clarification, and broader scrutiny.

What had occurred during the India AI Impact Summit?

The controversy began with the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The event aimed to showcase India's growing capabilities in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

Galgotias University had a four-legged robot at its pavilion called "Orion." When interviewed by the media, a university official said that the robot had been created internally as part of its Center of Excellence, allegedly supported by a ₹ 350 crore AI investment program.

Soon after the interaction had aired, social media users and technology observers recognized the robot to be the Unitree Go2, a commercially available quadruped robot, produced by a Chinese company called Unitree Robotics. It is being sold extensively online, with the approximate price of the product being ₹ 2 lakh to ₹ 3 lakh.

Galgotias University, which shifted the Spotlight by Orion Robot, claims

The main problem was whether Galgotias University introduced the robot as an indigenous innovation. The critics believed that the statements made to the general public gave the impression that the institution had created the robot itself.

News reports by national media houses stated that the discovery of the Unitree Go2 sparked online discussions about transparency and truthfulness in technological claims. The issue took an even greater turn in the summit focused on domestic innovation and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The scandal was further aggravated by the spread of video clips all over social media, which raised issues of representation and institutional responsibility.

Rapid Intervention to Address Immediate Risks

Upon the backlash, the government sources allegedly requested that Galgotias University leave its pavilion at the summit. According to the media reports, officials cut the power supply to the stall and then barricaded the area.

Other exhibits that the online users were questioned included a drone soccer arena, besides the robot display. According to commentators, the presented system was similar to a model that already exists in Korea and is offered on the international market. The joint questioning increased the social discourse and led to the demand to provide clarification by the institution.

As Questions Grew, Clarifications Followed

In its first reaction, Galgotias University said that the robot had been introduced to the learners and denied the fact that it had purposely claimed to be the manufacturer of the device.

The university subsequently released a statement of apology as the criticism increased. It termed the incident a miscommunication and stressed that there was no intentional act to falsify imported technology as localized innovation.

The institution also claimed that the spokesperson who talked to the media had no right to make certain technical claims. The faculty member subsequently explained that the idea was merely to point out the exposure of students to high-level robotics and not to own up to manufacturing.

How Previous Events Add Context to Today’s Scrutiny

This is not the first time that Galgotias University has come under fire and faced public scrutiny. In 2024, university students attracted attention when a political protest was recorded, as they were unable to articulate the topic of their protest in video clips.

A research paper associated with the institution previously, in the year 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, proposed that sound vibrations on metal plates could influence the virus. This paper was later criticized and retracted. Those previous episodes have re-emerged in the discourse of people and helped in the expansion of debates concerning institutional oversight and academic credibility.

The Galgotias University scandal is a wake-up call with regard to the standards of the national technology events. Although the university has already provided clarification and an apology, the incident has also led to wider debate on the issues of transparency, communication, and accountability in the Indian innovation sphere.

With India still striving to establish itself as a world leader in AI, there is a likely increase in scrutiny of institutions regarding the presentation of research and technological success in public forums.

Want regular updates about Tech? Follow The ScreenLight.