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The event that was to be a glamorous night at the exclusive gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence became a frustrating experience for Sara Hooker, who is the co-founder and CEO of Adaption Labs, the US-based AI startup.

The event happened on February 18-19, 2026, at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Hooker had been at summit sessions earlier in the day and then went back to her hotel, where she changed her casual jeans into formal gala attire, which was an invite-only event and featured the world leaders, dignitaries, and other industry heavyweights.

But the famous traffic jam in Delhi combined with road blockage and security measures for high-profile visitors stalled her vehicle for almost four hours. She did not arrive in time and finally had to resign and go back to her hotel, where she ordered room service at around 11 PM.

Hooker told the story straightforwardly in X: "I was invited to dine with the Prime Minister, and then I got caught in the traffic returning to the place after I swapped my jeans with gala clothes (swapped my jeans)." Should have been pleased to be there. But at 4h traffic was no less honored to take a seat for really excellent room service at 11 pm.

The post immediately went viral, triggering the response related to the traffic issues in Delhi, the organization of the events, and the difficulty of organizing big international conferences in the capital. Although the gala was characterized by PM Modi as she engaged with world leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the story by Hooker has emphasized the fact that even invitations to VIPs can be lost in the thick of traffic in the city.

Her light-minded reaction, among other things, spawned sympathy and laughter across the Internet, with many people mentioning the irony of an expert in AI being trapped in a very human situation. The summit remains the subject of interest because of its focus on the future of AI in India, yet this traffic story has been one of the most discussed sidelines to the summit!