Galgotias University was asked to vacate their stall at the India AI Impact Summit expo after staff and officials allegedly showcased a robotic dog sourced from China and claimed it as their own invention, triggering a massive row that reached even the political circles. In its defence, Galgotias University Registrar Nitin Kumar Gaur said that the RoboDog was never introduced as a university invention.
Claiming misinterpretation, the registrar explained that the confusion stemmed from the use of words “develop” and “development”. Gaur said, “This is a jumble of two words, develop, and development. We didn’t develop it. We worked on its development… We want to bring them, just like that robot was brought, and an effort was made to get students to do research on it.”
Professor Neha Singh, who was introducing the RoboDog as ‘Orion’ at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, clarified: “The controversy 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. Also, the intent may not have been properly understood.” Also Read | After robodog row, Galgotias faces fresh backlash over ‘made from scratch’ drone claim. Viral Video
“One important point is regarding the robot dog—we cannot claim that we manufactured it. I have told everyone that we introduced it to our students to inspire them to create something better on their own. Our university contributes to building future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in the field of AI, and it will continue to do so,” she said.
As the controversy escalates, let’s know a few details about the Galgotias University:
Galgotias University is located on the opposite Buddha International Circuit in Sector 17A of Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
According to the university website, the private university was ranked one of the fastest-rising universities in India in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026.
It was ranked 15th among top private universities and 43rd among all Indian universities-public and private combined.
In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025, Galgotias University has been ranked 45th among Indian universities (including both government and private institutions) and placed in the globally prestigious 1001–1200 band.
Smt. Shakuntla Educational and Welfare Society was established in the year 1998 and registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 with its registered address at Daryaganj, New Delhi.
The society since has been running institutions with the name of “Galgotias” in Greater Noida, UP.
According to the university website, the members of the society are Suneel Galgotia, Padmini Galgotia and Dhruv Galgotia.
The society which runs three colleges are: Galgotias Institute of Management & Technology (GIMT) and Galgotias College of Engineering & Technology (GCET) and Galgotia College of Pharmacy (GCP), and one university in the name of Galgotias University (GU) at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
