A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur has alleged that his product was stolen from his company’s stall amid high-security at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi.
What was meant to be a moment of pride for India’s tech ecosystem turned into an embarassment on Day 1 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi. Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and CEO of Bengaluru-based NeoSapien, claimed that his company’s patented AI wearable was stolen from the exhibition floor inside what he described as a tightly secured zone at Bharat Mandapam.
The incident reportedly occurred after all exhibitors were instructed to vacate their booths around noon due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit.
For NeoSapien, which was unveiling its advanced AI wearable for the first time, the summit was supposed to be a milestone. Instead, it became a day of shock, suspicion, and unanswered questions.
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“Day 1 of AI Impact Summit turned to be a pain for us”
Taking to X, Dhananjay Yadav expressed deep disappointment over what he described as a stunning security lapse at a premier event attended by global tech leaders including Sundar Pichai, Bill Gates, and Sam Altman.
“Day 1 of the AI Impact Summit turned to be a pain for us. I came genuinely excited, it was the first time the summit was being hosted in India, and I wanted to show up personally to support the ecosystem and the government’s push. But what happened next was shocking.”
According to Yadav, security personnel instructed exhibitors to clear out their booths at 12 PM ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. He claims he specifically asked whether he should carry the AI wearables with him.
He says he was assured that everything would remain safe.
"At 12 noon, security personnel arrived to sanitise and cordon off the area ahead of the visit by PM Modi visit at 2 pm. I explained that we’re building India’s first patented AI wearable at NeoSapien and requested a chance to showcase it. One officer told others to let me stay, and they left. Then another group came and ordered us to leave immediately. Seemed like there was lack of co-ordination between the security itself.
I asked: “Should we take our wearables?”
They said, others are leaving even laptops behind, security will take care.
Trusting them, I left. Hoping that the wearables will be safe, and If I am lucky, it might catch the eye of PM Modi.
Gates were closed from 12–6 pm. Much much longer than expected.
Later we found out that our wearables were stolen.
Think about this: We paid for flights, accommodation, logistics and even the booth. Only to see our wearables disappear inside a high-security zone.
If only security and official entourage had access, how did this happen?
This is extremely disappointing," he wrote.
NeoSapien’s wearable device is designed to track conversations and analyze human emotions using advanced AI algorithms — a product the startup says represents a breakthrough in India’s deep-tech innovation space.
