- A professor had said a robotic dog displayed at the India AI Impact Summit was developed by the university
- The dog was a product of China's Unitree Robotics
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said it wanted a code followed
In its first official reaction to the controversy surrounding Galgotias University and the robotic dog exhibited by it at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, the Centre has said it wants "genuine and actual work" displayed and does not want to encourage misinformation.
The university, located in Greater Noida, has been mocked relentlessly on social media after Neha Singh, a professor of communications, said in an interview to DD News that a robotic dog that was displayed in the pavilion was developed by the "centre of excellences" (sic) at the institution. It quickly emerged that the robodog, which Singh had called "Orion", was the Unitree Go2, developed by China's Unitree Robotics.
Singh later blamed miscommunication for the entire episode.
"The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly. I take accountability that perhaps I did not communicate properly, as it was done with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, in a jiffy, so I may not have come across as very eloquent, which is a rare case," she told news agency PTI on Wednesday.
"Also, the intent may not have been properly understood. One important thing is that the robodog clearly has its branding on top, we have not changed that. So, how can we 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," she said.
Pressed by another reporter on the issue, Singh reiterated that she may have been misinterpreted, saying, "Your six can be my nine." That last statement took on a life of its own, being used by several social media users to criticise the professor and the university.
The organisers of the Summit asked Galgotias University to clear the pavilion, and it did so.
Asked about the controversy on Wednesday, S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said the ministry wanted genuine work reflected and a code followed.
"We want genuine and actual work to be reflected in the way that people exhibit in expos. The idea is not to sort of use this as an opportunity in any other fashion. So we don't want a controversy around exhibits which are presented here. I think it's essential that a set code is followed there. Misinformation cannot be encouraged. We don't want a controversy around this, around exhibits in the expo. I am not getting into whether they are right or wrong, we just don't want a controversy," he said.
Asked whether the ministry had not checked how models were being developed, Krishnan said the exhibit was not for sale.
"These are not things which are intended for sale, or where we have to standardise and certify. Certification happens if it is meant for public distribution or sale. When somebody is demonstrating a product, you presume that they know what they are talking about. If we have to certify even what has to be exhibited, then you'll say we are stifling innovation. Our intention is not to stifle innovation," he asserted.
University's Apology
Blaming Singh for the fiasco, the university said she was "ill-informed" and was not authorised to speak to the media.
"We at Galgotias University, wish to apologise profusely for the confusion created at the recent Al Summit. One of our representatives, manning the pavilion, was ill-informed. She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorised to speak to the press," the institute said in a statement.
The university insisted there was no intent to misrepresent the innovation and that it remains committed to "academic integrity, transparency, and responsible representation" of its work.
It also confirmed that it had vacated the pavilion.
