New Delhi :The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was supposed to be a triumph for domestic innovation. Instead, it became a case study in branding risks. Following the forced removal of Galgotias University from the Bharat Mandapam expo floor, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has moved swiftly. New directives aim to prevent the misrepresentation of foreign technology as indigenous products. This shift comes as a direct response to the “Orion” controversy. The university’s presentation of a rebranded Chinese Unitree Go2 robot dog drew international mockery. Now, the government is ensuring that future exhibits meet a stricter standard of transparency and “sovereign AI” alignment.
Strict Vetting Protocols for Academic and Startup Pavilions
The primary change involves a mandatory “Indigenous Component Audit” for all exhibitors. Moving forward, any institution or startup claiming a product as “in-house” must provide a detailed breakdown of its development. This includes hardware sourcing, software architecture, and intellectual property (IP) documentation.
A new AI Governance Group (AIGG) will oversee this vetting process. Experts from this committee will review entries months before any national summit. For Galgotias University, the lack of such a filter led to a faculty member claiming their Centre of Excellence “developed” a commercially available $2,800 robot. Under the new rules, such a claim would require proof of significant local engineering or proprietary algorithms that fundamentally change the machine’s utility.
Also Read : Galgotias University Robodog Controversy: Allegations of Misrepresentation at India AI Impact Summit
Mandatory “Country of Origin” Labeling for Global Tools
The government is not banning the use of international technology for education. In fact, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reiterated that global collaboration is key. However, the new guidelines mandate clear “Country of Origin” labeling for all hardware on display. If a university uses a Chinese or American platform as a “classroom in motion,” it must be explicitly tagged as such.
This prevents the rebranding of products, which was a core issue in the “Orion” fiasco. Community notes on social media effectively fact-checked the university before official bodies could act. To bridge this gap, the government will now implement a QR-code-based verification system. Visitors can scan any exhibit to see verified details about the manufacturer and the specific contributions made by the exhibitor.
Upholding the “Make in India” Narrative in Tech
The fallout from the Galgotias incident was not just digital; it was diplomatic. The presence of a rebranded Chinese product at a summit meant to showcase Bharat’s AI prowess was seen as a strategic oversight. The new guidelines emphasize that “Viksit Bharat @2047” relies on genuine creation, not just procurement.
Institutions are now encouraged to focus their exhibits on “Applied AI”—showing how they use global tools to solve uniquely Indian problems. This allows universities to still use devices like the Unitree Go2, provided they focus the exhibit on the software or use-case they developed in India. By shifting the focus from the “machine” to the “solution,” the government hopes to foster a culture of honest innovation.