How a Chinese-made robot dog sparked a national controversy and forced a high-profile university to exit the India AI Expo.
- The Catalyst: Galgotias University faced immediate backlash after a faculty member allegedly presented “Orion”—a robot dog—as an in-house innovation at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
- The Reality: Savvy social media users quickly identified “Orion” as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available quadruped manufactured by a Chinese firm and sold online for approximately $1,600 to $2,800.
- The Fallout: Despite the university’s claims that the robot was merely a “learning tool,” the government reportedly ordered them to vacate their booth at the expo amidst accusations of misrepresenting imported tech as indigenous.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam was intended to be a stage for showcasing the nation’s burgeoning prowess in artificial intelligence. Instead, it became the backdrop for a PR nightmare involving Galgotias University. The controversy ignited when the university showcased a robotic dog named “Orion,” which was presented by a faculty member as a product of the institution’s Centre of Excellence. High-profile government social media handles, including the Ministry of Electronics and IT, initially amplified the display, unaware of the device’s true origins.
The “innovation” was short-lived. Within hours of the video going viral, the internet’s collective eye spotted a familiar silhouette. Tech enthusiasts pointed out that “Orion” was actually a Unitree Go2, a mass-produced robot from the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. Observers even noted that the original manufacturer’s branding was still visible on the device during the presentation. The contrast was stark: while the university claimed to have invested over Rs 350 crore in AI infrastructure, they were being accused of rebranding an off-the-shelf product costing roughly Rs 2.3 lakhand passing it off as a homegrown breakthrough.
The backlash was swift and multi-layered. On one hand, Indian social media users felt misled by the “Made in India” optics; on the other, Chinese social media accounts picked up the story, mocking the apparent attempt to claim their technology. In a viral video, Professor Neha Singh was seen detailing the robot’s features as a result of the university’s internal research efforts. This led to a “Community Note” on X (formerly Twitter) that directly contradicted the university’s later defense, stating they had explicitly claimed the robot was developed by their team.
In an official statement, Galgotias University attempted to pivot, framing the situation as a misunderstanding. They argued that the robot was never meant to be seen as their own manufacture but was instead a “classroom in motion”—a tool purchased to help students learn how to design such technologies in the future. “Let us be clear—Galgotias has not built this robodog, neither have we claimed,” the statement read, adding that an ill-informed representative was responsible for the confusion. They emphasized that their mission is to bring global technology from hubs like the US, China, and Singapore to ensure their students remain ahead of the curve.
Despite the university’s attempts to soften the blow, the administrative consequences were severe. Sources indicated that the government, sensitive to the integrity of the India AI Expo, ordered the university to immediately vacate their booth. While the university claimed they received no such formal order, the reputational damage was done. The incident serves as a cautionary tale for educational institutions regarding the thin line between using global tools for education and claiming them as indigenous intellectual property in a high-stakes national forum.