A Bengaluru-based startup founder has alleged that his company’s artificial intelligence (AI) wearables were stolen from a high-security zone at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam on Monday, the opening day of the event inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dhananjay Yadav, co-founder and CEO of NeoSapien, said the incident took place on February 16, shortly before the Prime Minister’s visit to the venue.
The February 16–20 summit, being hosted in India for the first time, has drawn delegates from around 100 countries, including global technology leaders such as Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman, and representatives from about 20 countries including Brazil and France.
Officials have described it as the first time the AI Impact Summit is being held in a Global South nation, with over 3,250 speakers and more than 500 sessions scheduled.
In his inaugural address on Monday, Modi said India stands at the forefront of the AI transformation and emphasised the country’s commitment to responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence.
According to Yadav, security personnel began sanitising and cordoning off the exhibition area around noon ahead of the Prime Minister’s scheduled visit at 2 pm. He said he requested permission to remain at his booth to showcase NeoSapien’s patented AI wearable — a device he claims can track conversations and analyse emotions.
Yadav said one officer initially allowed him to stay, but another group later instructed him and other exhibitors to vacate immediately due to security protocols. When he asked whether he should carry his devices, he claimed he was told that security would take care of items left behind, as other participants were also leaving laptops and equipment at their booths.
He said the venue gates were closed from 12 pm to 6 pm. When he returned, the company’s wearable devices were missing.
“We paid for flights, accommodation, logistics and even the booth, only to see our wearables disappear inside a high-security zone,” Yadav wrote on social media platform X, questioning how such a theft could occur in an area with restricted access.
It was not immediately clear whether a formal police complaint had been filed. Event organisers and authorities had not responded publicly to the allegation at the time of writing.
Separately, Yadav had earlier flagged an uncomfortable cab ride in Bengaluru while travelling to catch his flight to Delhi for the summit. Ride-hailing platform Namma Yatri later said it had processed a refund and was taking action on the complaint.
The alleged theft at a high-profile international summit is likely to raise concerns among startups and exhibitors over security arrangements during VIP visits.