Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 13:41 IST

Galgotias University faces scrutiny for claiming that it built a soccer drone in-house, but evidence suggests it is a Striker V3 ARF from Korea, sparking debate online.

The institution had described the device as a product of its own end-to-end innovation ecosystem. (Image: X)

Galgotias University has faced fresh online scrutiny after claiming that staff and students at its Greater Noida campus built a soccer drone entirely in-house. The development comes on the same day the institution was asked to vacate the expo area of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, following a separate controversy over the origin of robotic dogs it had showcased.

The latest debate centres on the university’s assertion that the soccer drone was developed through complete in-house engineering, from design to application. The institution had described the device as a product of its own end-to-end innovation ecosystem.

“So they basically, from the end-to-end engineering to the application, we have a simulation lab to an application arena, and that’s India’s first soccer arena on campus,” a Galgotias employee can be heard saying in videos that surfaced online.

Also Read: Galgotias University Asked To Vacate AI Summit Expo Over China-Made Robodog Row: Sources

The latest scrutiny follows a controversy a day earlier when Galgotias University clarified that the robotic dog displayed at the AI Summit had been procured from China-based Unitree and that it had “never claimed” to have built the device. The clarification came after reports suggested that the Unitree Go2 robotic dog was showcased under the name “Orion,” leading to allegations that imported technology was being presented as indigenously developed.

Top government sources said authorities took immediate cognisance of the matter and directed the university to vacate the expo venue the same day. Sources added that the government viewed the issue seriously and conveyed a clear message to all exhibitors about compliance and transparency standards at the summit. They also alleged that sections of the opposition were attempting to politicise the episode, claiming they were unsettled by the success of the first-ever AI Summit in India.

In its earlier statement, the university had said, “Let us be clear, Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we claimed to do so. What we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer and manufacture such technologies in Bharat.”

It maintained that the device was acquired for academic purposes and used as a learning tool for students, asserting that exposure to global technologies helps foster indigenous innovation over time.

Read More