Memes, jokes flood social media over Galgotias University’s robot controversy at AI Summit: ‘Proud moment for humanity’

On 18 February, Galgotias University’s efforts at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi have sparked numerous memes and jokes. The university was accused of claiming imported technology as "indigenous" or "in-house" student innovations. They were eventually asked to leave the summit.

Even Chinese news media shared the story online:

One of the viral posts mocking the university is about the "GALGOTIA" rocket-catcher. The satirical post on social media poked fun at the university.

“Galgotia University’s final-year project (that actually works) to catch returning rockets. It’s called Gravity Arresting Launch Grade Orbital Trapping Indigenous Apparatus (GALGOTIA). Proud moment for humanity,” say the post while attacking a video from SpaceX.

Here’s another hilarious post:

Govt - Galgotia, please leave AI Summit

Galgotia - No. We won’t

Govt - Cuts their electricity off

Galgotia - Staff starts moving

Media - Where are you going??

Galgotia- For Lunch, we will come back

“Tum kitne galgotia pakdoge. Har gali se galgotia niklega (How many Galgotia will you catch? There’s a Galgotia in every lane.),” posted another.

“Galgotia University strikes again. After the Chinese robot, they claimed that they built a soccer drone from scratch on their campus. Reality: It is commercially available in the market at just ₹40,000 as Striker V3 ARF. What kind of fraud are they?? asked another user.

Another user questioned the authorities, “Is this govt and administration a joke? Instead of formally asking Galgotia to leave, they have reportedly cut the power supply to their pavilion. Galgotia wale bhi dheeth hain, ja nahi rahe (Even the people from Galgotia are stubborn; they are not leaving). Why does this country function like a Sitcom?”

Comedian Vir Das has also joined the fun:

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra slammed Cabinet Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw: “Deleting tweets doesn’t change reality, Ashwini Vaishnaw - you have made India a laughing stock. Quit the chair if you can’t do your job. Maybe join Galgotia as Professor of Spin?”

At the same time, the university said it had created a soccer drone from scratch. But, this too was recognised as a foreign commercial model.

After criticism grew on social media, the Ministry of Electronics and IT asked the university to vacate its stall at Bharat Mandapam. Authorities reportedly cut power to the display when they refused to leave.

However, it has now issued an apology and blamed its ‘ill-informed’ representative.

“We, at Galgotias University, wish to apologise profusely for the confusion created at the recent Al 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 of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorised to speak to the press,” it said.

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