Day 3 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 ended not with applause, but with hundreds of professionals walking along closed roads in New Delhi — a scene captured on video that has since gone viral and sparked fresh questions about last-mile planning at global events.
A video posted by influencer Caleb Friesen, a Canadian national who has lived in India for eight years, has gone viral after he documented the chaotic exit faced by delegates at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. The video, shared on
‘A Great Day — Until It Ended’
Friesen, who praised the summit’s programming and organization during the day, said the problems began around 7.40pm when attendees started leaving the venue.
“Had such a great day at the India AI Impact Summit,” he wrote. “But the way it ended was a huge let-down. No cabs, no pre-arranged shuttle. ‘Road is closed, go for a walk.’”
In the video, Friesen interviews fellow attendees as they walk along a busy stretch of road near the venue. One man explains that roads were closed due to the movement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, joking that the unexpected walk was “an extra networking opportunity” provided by the summit.
Another attendee points out that ride-hailing services such as Uber, Ola, and Rapido were inaccessible due to the closures. “Then people ask why talent is leaving India,” he says, noting that many of those affected were white-collar professionals paying high taxes.
A Bengaluru-based attendee from Salesforce describes the situation as “hectic” and says it was not something participants had anticipated.
‘No Plan, No Help’
In a follow-up explanation, Friesen clarified that his criticism was limited to the exit arrangements. He acknowledged improvements inside the venue, including better signage and access to drinking water.
However, he said delegates waited for cabs for several minutes before drivers canceled trips due to roadblocks. With no autos, buses, or summit-provided shuttles available, attendees were simply told to walk in a general direction.
“Some people had already been walking for 15 minutes by the time we started,” Friesen said, adding that others walked for more than 30 minutes. He also flagged the impact on international visitors and people with disabilities.
“It felt like people’s time, energy and plans were treated as the least important thing,” he said.
What Authorities Had Said
Ahead of the summit, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued traffic advisories urging delegates to use public transport, particularly the Delhi Metro, citing limited parking and security restrictions.
The advisory noted that access points at Bharat Mandapam would be regulated, with some gates restricted after 2pm, and shuttle services operating only between designated parking areas and the venue during specific hours.
Since being posted, the video has gathered over 313,000 views and an array of comments.
A user defended the authorities, “Why so much complaining? Today at the Supreme Court,I walked 1 km in the morning due to traffic just to reach the gate, and 3 km in the evening to get transport. I spent the whole day on my feet. Sometimes, we just have to adjust without making a fuss. We shouldn’t act entitled.”
Another user wrote, “All this cribbing…. You know when you return from the New Year fire crackers in London everything is closed…. You have to walk an hour to get to the only open metro station to get back home… no cabs nothing… it happens during any football match in Italy or any IPL in India.”
“Your points are valid, everything would not be perfect the first time. There is scope for improvement, I’m sure people organizing the event and their partners would do a better job next time. Provide feedback rather than only criticism,” the third user wrote.
The fourth wrote, “This is a Bloody Mess. No proper transport arrangements for the people attending the AI summit. A guy says, we complain when people leave India but if this is what Tax payers get, how can we expect talent to stay here?”
