Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a light-hearted remark about Delhi’s traffic congestion while addressing the India AI Impact Summit in Bharat Mandapam, saying that artificial intelligence
can do many things, but can’t fix the national capital’s traffic.
“Sorry we’re a few minutes late, that’s entirely my fault. AI can do many things, as we’ve heard this week, but it can’t yet fix Delhi’s traffic. So, work to do,” Sunak said, drawing laughter from the audience, news agency PTI reported.
VIDEO | At India AI Summit, former UK PM Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) quips, “AI can do many things but can’t fix Delhi’s traffic.”#RishiSunak #Delhitraffic pic.twitter.com/mbM94ZGRkA
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 19, 2026
His comments came against the backdrop of heavy traffic snarls across key stretches of the national capital during the ongoing summit at Bharat Mandapam.
Delhi In Gridlock
Severe traffic congestion and repeated route diversions have turned the daily commute into a harrowing experience for thousands of commuters, with vehicles crawling across several key stretches of Delhi.
Heavy traffic snarls were reported from Sunehri Bagh, Sansad Marg, Prithviraj Road, Indraprastha Park flyover and routes leading to the airport, with several commuters claiming they remained stuck for hours due to movement restrictions linked to VIP security arrangements.
Visuals from central Delhi showed long queues of vehicles crawling at a snail’s pace, with some stretches witnessing near-complete standstill during peak evening hours.
Several commuters took to social media to vent their frustration, with some claiming they were stuck for up to four hours due to movement restrictions linked to VIP security arrangements.
“Crazy gridlock of traffic in central Delhi. Stuck for more than an hour. Due to the VVIP movement, our movement gets restricted. Nobody cares for normal people who are working hard every day,” one commuter wrote.
Others reported frequent rerouting on navigation apps as roads were abruptly closed. Many advised residents to rely on the Delhi Metro instead of private vehicles during the summit period.
The Delhi Traffic Police had earlier issued an advisory stating that elaborate arrangements and traffic regulations were being implemented from February 16 to 20 for the smooth conduct of the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, which is being attended by heads of state, ministers and foreign delegates.
According to the advisory, traffic movement was restricted or regulated on key roads including Mathura Road, Subramania Bharti Marg, Rajesh Pilot Marg, Janpath, Firoze Shah Road, Safdarjung Road and Kartavya Path, among others. Certain stretches like Bhairon Marg and parts of Mathura Road were designated restricted zones during route movement.
India At Centre of AI, Says Sunak
Meanwhile, in his keynote address, the former English Prime Minister called India the ideal venue for shaping the future of artificial intelligence, saying there was “no better place” to deliberate on global AI transformation.
Praising India’s digital public infrastructure such as Aadhaar, UPI and Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts, he said that the country was uniquely positioned to drive the next phase of AI’s global journey — not only for developed nations but also for the developing world.
Highlighting the speed of AI adoption, he noted that while the telephone took 75 years to reach 100 million users and the internet seven years, ChatGPT reached that milestone in just two months.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, has brought together representatives from more than 110 countries to advance discussions on AI governance, safety and inclusive growth.
(With inputs from agencies)
