Published Feb 18, 2026 | 1:32 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 18, 2026 | 1:32 PM
The university had claimed that the robodog was built by it.
Synopsis: Galgotias University in Greater Noida, UP, has been asked to exit the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi after it exhibited a Chinese-made robot dog in its pavilion. However, the university spokesperson said she did not have any information about the government asking the university to vacate its stall.
Adding to the list of controversies surrounding it, Galgotias University in Greater Noida, UP, has been making headlines after it exhibited a Chinese-made robot dog in its pavilion at the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
The robot dog gained attention after Professor Neha Singh told DD News that the robodog, named “Orion,” was developed by the university’s Centre of Excellence. However, netizens were quick to expose the claim and pointed out that it was a commercially available Chinese robot, Unitree Go2.
Adding ridicule to the university and the summit itself, several international news outlets also broadcast the issue.
Meanwhile, PTI reported that Galgotias University has been asked to vacate its stall at the AI Summit Expo immediately.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 16 February, which is said to be the first international AI summit hosted in the Global South. The summit is scheduled from 16 to 20 February alongside the India AI Impact Expo 2026.
According to the organisers, over 500 sessions with 3,250 speakers will highlight AI applications across three thematic “chakras” — People, Planet, and Progress. India is unveiling 12 indigenous foundation models under the IndiaAI Mission, trained on vast domestic datasets and supporting the nation’s 22 official languages.
Responding to the controversy, Professor Singh told PTI, “The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly and the intent may not have been properly understood.”
“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 added that she did not have any information about the government asking the university to vacate its stall. “What I know is that today we are all present here,” she said.
Earlier, the university had issued a clarification saying that it has consistently brought cutting-edge technologies to the campus for exposure.
“The recently acquired Robodog from Unitree is one such step in that journey. It is not merely a machine on display, it is a classroom in motion. Our students are experimenting with it, testing its limits, and in the process, expanding their own knowledge. Let us be clear, Galgotias has not built this robodog, neither have we claimed. But what we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies right here in Bharat,” it said.
In April 2024, a viral video featuring students from Galgotias University sparked a wave of laughter and controversy. The students, protesting outside the Congress headquarters in Delhi, were asked about the motives behind their demonstration.
However, most of them were clueless about the purpose of the protest, and several students struggled to even read the slogans on their placards. Late, in a post on X, a student claimed that they went for the protest because the management promised to give full internal marks for them.
