A row has erupted at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 after Galgotias University showcased 'Orion', a Chinese-made robotic dog, as a product developed by its Centre of Excellence. The robot in question is the Unitree Go2, a commercially available model from Chinese robotics company Unitree, sold online in India at a price ranging between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh.
After a video of the robotic dog went viral and internet users identified it as a Chinese product, Galgotias University released a statement rejecting any claims that it had built the device. The university clarified that the robotic dog had been procured from Unitree and was being used purely as a learning tool for students.
Galgotias University's apologies on row over the Chinese Robot dog at the AI Summit
Galgotias University has issued an apology regarding the controversy over displaying the Chinese robot dog at the AI Summit.
"We at Galgotias University wish to apologise profusely for the confusion created at the recent AI Summit. One of our representatives manning the pavilion was ill-informed. She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and, in her enthusiasm about being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorised to speak to the press," the statement said.
First, it was “developed by our Centre of Excellence.”
— Shivam Sharma (@realshivamshrma) February 18, 2026
Now it’s “globally available tools for student learning.”
Innovation was claimed when applause came.
Procurement was clarified when questions came.
Seems like the real AI here isn’t the robot.
It’s the press release. pic.twitter.com/NXjhC5hYOt
"This is a jumble of two words, develop, and development. We didn't develop it. We worked on its development...," said Nitin Kumar Gaur, registrar of Galgotias University.
"We want to bring them, just like that robot was brought, and an effort was made to get students to do research on it... I can say that perhaps she (Professor Neha) might have been confused by the words "develop" and "development" in the flow. But the truth is that we bought this robot for children's research... If China is making the claim, then maybe it (robodog) could be bought from China... I haven't received any such official communication yet (on vacating the expo)," he added.
— Galgotias University (@GalgotiasGU) February 17, 2026
The power was reportedly cut off at the Galgotias University stall at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, minutes after they were asked to vacate the expo area over the display of the Chinese robotic dog.
A video by news agency PTI shows several members of Galgotias University standing in the dark at their pavilion.
Galgotias University has also come under renewed online scrutiny after it stated that staff and students on its Greater Noida campus had built a soccer drone from scratch.
The soccer drone claim centres on a device that the university described as the product of its own end-to-end engineering.
"Your 6 can be my 9”
— Vinay Kumar Dokania (@VinayDokania) February 18, 2026
- Prof. Neha Singh from Galgotias
She can eat 100 Anjanas 200 Rubikas, 300 Chitras, 400 Navikas and 500 Shwetas alone when it comes to defending the most undefendable lies and faulty claims. pic.twitter.com/5nL9mSstMO
"So they basically, from end-to-end engineering to the application, we have a simulation lab to an application arena, and that's India's first soccer arena on campus," a Galgotias University employee can be heard saying in videos circulating online.
However, users on social media claimed that the drone is a commercially available model known as the Striker V3 ARF, which can be purchased in the Indian market for around Rs 40,000. The Helsel Striker V3 is a soccer drone developed by South Korea's Helsel Group for drone sports.
