Galgotias University AI summit row: Like robodogs, did institute make false claim about ‘soccer drone’?

Galgotias University can’t catch a break. Amid the controversy of the robotic dog showcased at the India AI Impact Summit, the Noida-based institute is facing fresh scrutiny over claims of building a soccer drone from scratch.

Despite the university claiming that the soccer drone was developed entirely through in-house engineering, spanning design to application, claims have emerged that the creation isn’t theirs to claim; rather it has been developed by a South Korean firm.

The fresh row erupted on the same day that Galgotias University was reportedly asked to leave the India AI Impact Summit expo area in New Delhi.

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So, what’s going on? We get you all the answers on this ongoing Galgotias’ scandal.

Galgotias University and the drone row

On Wednesday (February 18), the Noida-based University asserted that it had built a soccer drone from scratch. In a video emerging from the India AI Impact Summit, which has now gone viral, Communications Professor Neha Singh from Galgotias University can be seen saying, “This is an interesting device. Its end-to-end engineering to its application, everything has been developed in the university.”

She also claimed that Galgotias had developed India’s first “drone soccer arena” on its campus. “So they basically, from the 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,” one can hear her saying in the video.

🚨 One more fraud by Galgotias University

They claimed, they have built this Drone model from scratch, done end to end engineering of it

But it is commercially available Striker V3 ARF

AI summit has became a joke due to these frauds 🤡

pic.twitter.com/iUp49SnbS2

— Veena Jain (@Vtxt21) February 18, 2026

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For the uninitiated, a soccer drone is specially designed drone encased in a protective carbon fibre cage to withstand collisions. The drone used are typically quadcopters with durable frames and LED lighting for visibility.

However, online users have pointed out that the drone bears a striking resemblance to a commercially available model known as the Striker V3 ARF, available in India for approximately Rs 40,000. The Striker is a soccer drone developed by South Korea’s Helsel Group for drone sports.

Users quickly questioned whether the drone was genuinely designed on campus or just assembled, modified, or rebranded.

One of the users wrote, “Claim: built from scratch on campus. Reality: commercially available model.”

Another user called for immediate clarification and transparency.

Meanwhile, a third user mocked the situation, saying the university appeared to be “innovating in how to build stories around lies”. Another user wrote, “From ‘Made in Campus’ to Made in China (Rs 40,000 on Amazon). Innovation or imagination?”

Galgotias and the Robodog fiasco

Notably, the online anger against Galgotias University came on the same day when the institute was reportedly asked to vacate its spot at the India AI Impact Summit.

This move came after the institute had claimed a day earlier that the robotic dogs that they were showcasing at the expo were built entirely by staff and students. A clip showed a university professor stating that the robot had been built at the Centre of Excellence.

Called Orion, these robot dogs caught the attention of one and all, with government social media handles, including that of the Ministry of Electronics and IT, sharing video footage of the robotic dog.

The "Make in India" Reality Check 🇮🇳🇨🇳

Fact 1: Unitree Go2 (Chinese Robot). Price: ₹2.5 Lakhs.
Fact 2: Same robot presented by Galgotias University as "Innovation" at the Delhi AI Summit.

We are not witnessing an "AI Revolution."
We are witnessing "Sticker Engineering."

When… pic.twitter.com/Gt1GB8f2OW

— Sawarn Voice (@Bhairaviyogi) February 18, 2026

However, social media users identified the robot as the Unitree Go2, a quadruped manufactured by Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics and available in India for anywhere between Rs 2 and 3 lakh. Some people even pointed out that the original manufacturer’s branding was still visible on the device. The university had claimed to have invested over Rs 350 crore in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Once these claims went viral, on Wednesday (February 17), the Galgotias University booth at the AI Impact Summit was barricaded, with representatives of the university, including faculty, seen leaving the premises.

#WATCH | Delhi | Galgotias University staff and officials vacate their stall at India AI Impact Summit expo, following row over display of Chinese-made robodog.

As per sources, the govt had asked Galgotias University to vacate the stall at the expo. pic.twitter.com/cqN5vBcgcN

— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2026

S Krishnan, Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India (MeitY), said the government wanted only genuine work to be showcased at the summit. “We want genuine and actual work to be exhibited. We don’t want a controversial agency which has misled the public,” he was quoted by saying as Indian Express.

Galgotias University reacts

Amid the robodog fiasco, Assistant Professor Neha Singh of Galgotias University tried to clarify the situation, saying that she took responsibility for not communicating properly.

“The controversy (regarding the robodog) happened because things may not have been expressed clearly. I take accountability that perhaps I did not communicate it properly, as it was done with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, so I may not have come across as eloquently as I usually do,” she told news agency PTI.

VIDEO | Delhi: Professor Neha Singh of Galgotias University responds to reports of the university being asked to vacate its stall at the AI Summit Expo, says, “The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly. I take accountability that perhaps I did… pic.twitter.com/z5lOIzmDz1

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 18, 2026

When asked about being asked to vacate the expo, Singh responded, “I do not have any information about that. What I know is that today we are all present here.”

Later, the university also issued a formal statement in which it maintained that it hadn’t claimed to build the robodog.

pic.twitter.com/cgBbhld876

— Galgotias University (@GalgotiasGU) February 17, 2026

In its statement, it noted that the robotic dog had been bought from Unitree and was being used only as a learning tool for students.

It’s left to be seen what comes next in this fiasco.

With inputs from agencies