AI Impact Summit 2026: Startup founder claims AI wearables stolen inside high-security venue. 'Deeply disappointing'

A CEO complained that his company's wearables were stolen from AI summit in New Delhi.

Amid widespread complaints of mismanagement on the opening day of the AI Impact Summit 2026, a startup founder has alleged that his company’s AI wearables went missing from the venue after exhibitors were abruptly asked to vacate their booths ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit.

The incident was reported by Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and CEO of NeoSapie called it as a deeply disappointing experience at the high-profile summit held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

CEO unfolds how wearables went missing

Yadav said he had attended the AI Impact Summit 2026 with genuine enthusiasm, calling it a milestone moment as the event was being hosted in India for the first time. He noted that his intention was to personally represent NeoSapien and showcase what he described as India’s first patented AI wearable, in support of the country’s growing AI ecosystem and the government’s push in the sector.

However, around noon on Day 1, security personnel reportedly began clearing and sanitising the exhibition area in preparation for the Prime Minister’s arrival, expected around 2 pm. Yadav said that while one set of officers initially allowed him to remain at the booth after hearing about the product, another security team arrived shortly after and instructed his team to leave immediately, suggesting a lack of coordination among authorities.

According to Yadav, when he asked whether the AI wearables should be taken along, security officials told him that several exhibitors were leaving behind laptops and equipment and assured him that the items would be safe. Trusting the assuranc and hoping the devices might even catch the Prime Minister’s attention, he left the wearables at the booth. The exhibition area, he said, remained inaccessible for nearly six hours, far longer than anticipated.

“When we finally returned, the wearables were gone,” Yadav said questioning how items could be stolen from what was supposed to be a tightly secured zone with access restricted to security personnel and official delegations. He added that the loss was especially painful given the significant expenses incurred for travel, accommodation, logistics and booth registration.

As Yadav’s post gained traction, several attendees echoed his concerns, describing the first day of the summit as chaotic. One user commented that before celebrating ambitious AI breakthroughs, the country needs to fix basic systems that protect ordinary citizens ranging from public safety alerts and traffic enforcement to infrastructure safeguards and bureaucratic transparency.

Another attendee questioned the event’s preparedness, stating that security should have been the most reliable aspect of a summit of this scale. The user added that India needs to first strengthen its “event infrastructure” and asked whether the organisers had offered any clarity on next steps following the reported incident.