New Delhi: The government has extended the AI Impact Summit 2026 by one day to February 21, making it open to the public amid an “overwhelming response,” IT Secretary S Krishnan announced Wednesday, reports said.
Originally scheduled through February 20 at Bharat Mandapam, the event now runs an extra day with two additional hours daily. The expo area stays open until 8 pm, while the convention center closes at 4:30 pm. Krishnan explained this has been done due to “overwhelming response”. “The idea is to provide a clear day to the public. Students and others can come,” he added.
The IT secretary also advised the general public to avoid the summit on February 19 as Bharat Mandapam will have restricted events. The expo will remain open to public on February 20 and 21, he said.
The secretary also issued a clarification over the Galgotias University issue, saying the government does not want any controversy at the summit. “We want genuine work to be exhibited. Our intention is not to encourage misinformation or plagiarism,” he said.
Krishnan also pointed out that such controversies should not overshadow the “excellent” work done by others.
“What happened should not affect the way people present or exhibit their work at such events. The idea is not to use an opportunity like this to become something else or create unnecessary noise. It is essential that a proper code of conduct is followed. There are other countries and other participants involved as well. Controversies around one issue should not overshadow the tremendous effort put in by others,” he said.
The secretary said several institutions and startups have created excellent exhibits and their hard work and innovation should remain the focus.
