Saree-wearing robot greets AI summit guests at Delhi’s 5-star Shangri-La Eros
Shangri-La Eros in New Delhi has stationed a humanoid robot in the hotel lobby to greet AI summit delegates
While many luxury hotels in Delhi have laid out the red carpet for VIP guests attending the ongoing AI summit, one hotel has gone above and beyond. Shangri-La Eros in New Delhi has stationed a humanoid robot to greet summit delegates — a fitting welcome for an event that’s meant to showcase India’s digital prowess.

A robot at Shangri-La
Shangri-La Eros is a 5-star hotel in the heart of New Delhi, located just a short distance from the summit venue of Bharat Mandapam. Like other luxury hotels in central Delhi, it has geared up to welcome the large number of national and international guests who are in the national capital for the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026.
Along with human staff, the hotel has also deployed a robot to welcome AI summit guests.
Shangri-La Eros told HT.com in a statement that the humanoid robot, named Echo, is designed to greet delegates, answer questions and offer intuitive wayfinding in the hotel lobby.
Echo has a human‑like form with an expressive LED face to make interactions feel natural and approachable. And even more endearingly, it wears a saree like other hotel staff members.
Echo has been stationed at the hotel lobby especially for the duration of the AI Impact Summit, which kicked off on February 16.
Also read: Delhi’s Leela Palace, Taj and other 5-stars go all out for VIP guests during AI summit
Echo’s work duties
“Shangri-La Eros New Delhi is honoured to welcome the distinguished delegates of the India AI Impact Summit 2026… It is a privilege to play a role in hosting this landmark gathering in New Delhi,” said Abhishek Sadhoo, General Manager, Shangri-La Eros New Delhi.
“Enhancing the arrival experience is Echo, our indigenously developed AI-powered humanoid robot, stationed in the lobby. With her friendly, human-like presence and expressive LED face,
“Echo greets guests, responds to voice queries and offers intuitive wayfinding, creating a seamless and engaging first point of contact.
“Equipped with ultrasonic sensors and programmable movement, Echo operates safely within the lobby environment. This thoughtful integration of technology reflects the forward-looking spirit of the summit and our commitment to innovation-led guest experiences,” said Sadhoo.
What is the India AI Impact Summit?
The India AI Impact Summit is a major international conference on artificial intelligence (AI) being held in New Delhi, India. The five-day event, which kicked off on February 16, will see some of the top tech CEOs and world leaders converge at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.
Organised by the Government of India under the IndiaAI Mission and the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, the summit will focus on how AI can be used responsibly and inclusively for real-world impact.
A host of international dignitaries, policymakers and tech leaders have descended upon Delhi for the summit.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Adobe chairman Shantanu Narayen, Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei, and one of the Godfathers of AI, Yann LeCun, are just some of the high-profile speakers at the summit.
ABOUT THE AUTHORSanya JainSanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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