The third day of the AI Impact Summit in Delhi saw attendees complaining of heavy rush, blocked roads and lack of transport, with several claiming they were forced to walk kilometres after cabs and metro services near Bharat Mandapam were restricted.
Attendees complain about the excessive rush, slack of proper transportation on the third day of the ongoing AI Impact Summit in Delhi. People who attended the AI Summit yesterday said that they were forced to walk for several kilometres after they did not find a cab because of restricted entry of vehicles on the road outside Bharat Mandapam.
Inconvenience at the venue
People who faced inconvenience at the venue turned to social media to flag what they called poor management, saying the otherwise high-profile summit was marred by chaotic arrangements and logistical gaps that diluted the overall experience by the time it concluded.
Had such a great day at the India AI Impact Summit.
But the way it ended (7:40PM) was a huge let-down.
No cabs, no pre-arranged shuttle. “Road is closed, go for a walk.”
Imagine how international visitors from must have felt.
Not to mention differently-abled folks. pic.twitter.com/tcHjnQOxwK
— Caleb (@caleb_friesen) February 18, 2026
A Canadian national, Caleb Friesen, who lived in India for the past eight years said that he had a great time during the AI Impact Summit yesterday.
When Friesen exited Bharat Mandapam around 7:40pm, he realised there were no cabs or shuttles. Instead, he was told to take a hike — almost literally.
‘Road is closed, go for a walk’
“No cabs, no pre-arranged shuttle. ‘Road is closed, go for a walk’,” Friesen wrote on X.
Activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj said that not only were roads closed and cabs barred, even the nearby metro station was shut down.
“Cousin from US is attending #AISummit. Has been trying to book a cab since 8pm to come home. No luck yet,” she wrote on X last night. “Roads blocked. Cops not allowing Cabs. Near by Metro station closed.”
Cousin from US is attending #AISummit
Has been trying to book a cab since 8pm to come home. No luck yet
Roads blocked. Cops not allowing Cabs. Near by Metro station closed.
How are people even commuting?
— Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) February 18, 2026
The entry of cabs near Bharat Mandapam was restricted despite the official page of the AI Impact Summit earlier advised attendees to take cabs to avoid rush at the parking venue.
Walked almost 5kms to just get a cab.
Govt has blocked all the gates and road and asking people to walk just because some VIP is coming.
People are walking since 6pm and at all check points police is saying this is blocked.
India AI Impact Summit 2026 – The
management is such… pic.twitter.com/O8yfWJv2Z7— Sahil Rajput (@_sahilrajput) February 18, 2026
“Govt has blocked all the gates and road and asking people to walk just because some VIP is coming. People are walking since 6pm and at all check points police is saying this is blocked,” an attendee wrote on X, calling it a management failure.
Several videos posted by users on X are now circulating online, with attendees complaining about poor facilities outside the expo venue and the temporary closure of nearby metro stations, which they say caused confusion, long delays and inconvenience after the summit wrapped up.
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