Centre extends AI Impact Summit by a Day till Feb 21:IT Secretary

The Centre has extended the ongoing AI Impact Summit 2026 by a day in view of the overwhelming public response, IT Secretary S Krishnan announced on Wednesday.The summit, being held at Bharat Mandapam, will now continue till February 21 (Saturday) and will remain open to the general public. In addition, the daily duration of the summit has been extended by two hours.
Explaining the decision, Krishnan said the extension was granted due to the “overwhelming response” received from students, innovators and industry participants.“The idea is to provide a clear day to the public. Students and others can come,” he said.He added that the expo area will remain open till 8 pm, while the convention centre sessions will conclude by 4:30 pm.The IT Secretary also advised the public to avoid visiting the summit venue on February 19, as Bharat Mandapam will host restricted events on that day. However, the expo will remain open to visitors on February 20 and 21.
Krishnan also issued a clarification regarding the recent controversy involving Galgotias University, stating that the government does not want any dispute to distract from the purpose of the summit.“We want genuine work to be exhibited. Our intention is not to encourage misinformation or plagiarism,” he said.He emphasised that such incidents should not overshadow the “excellent” work showcased by other institutions and startups.“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.

#SKrishnanSecretaryMeITY ,issued a clarification over the Galgotias University issue, saying that govt does not want any controversy at the summit, pointed out that such controversies should not overshadow the "excellent" work done by others. pic.twitter.com/S5xNfVcLO0

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The secretary noted that several institutions and startups have put forward impressive exhibits, and their innovation and hard work should remain the primary focus of the summit.