Sara Hooker, co-founder and CEO of Adaption Labs, missed a gala dinner with PM Modi after being stuck in Delhi traffic for four hours.
Instead of dining with the Prime Minister, Hooker ended her night with late-room service at her hotel.
Several summit participants reported similar problems reaching the venue.
An American CEO missed a high-profile dinner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after getting stuck in heavy traffic in Delhi for four hours. Sara Hooker, co-founder and CEO of Adaption Labs, was invited to attend a gala dinner hosted by the Prime Minister during the India AI Impact Summit. The event was being held at Bharat Mandapam.
SurveyHooker had spent the day attending summit sessions at the venue. Later, she returned to her hotel to change from casual clothes into gala attire for the special dinner. However, when she tried to head back to the venue, her plans quickly fell apart due to heavy traffic.
Hooker shared her experience in a post on X. ‘I got the invite to the gala with the Prime Minister, but got stuck in traffic getting back to the venue after I changed into gala attire (changed out of my jeans),’ she wrote.
I got the invite to the gala with the Prime Minister, but got stuck in traffic getting back to the venue after I changed into gala attire (changed out of my jeans).
— Sara Hooker (@sarahookr) February 19, 2026
Would have been honored to attend. But after 4h in traffic was equally honored to sit down to really excellent… https://t.co/05fZdoqruA pic.twitter.com/JRhbHzi9wO
After waiting in traffic for four hours, she decided to give up and return to her hotel. Instead of attending the dinner with the Prime Minister and other guests, she ordered Indian food through room service.
‘Would have been honored to attend. But after 4h in traffic was equally honored to sit down to really excellent room service at 11 pm,’ she said.
Hooker was not the only one affected by the traffic chaos. Several summit participants reported similar problems reaching the venue. Roads near Bharat Mandapam were blocked for VIP movement, leading to long traffic jams in central Delhi. Many vehicles were stuck for hours. Some attendees said they had to walk for several kilometres to book cabs.
Also read: India AI Impact Summit 2026, PM Narendra Modi backs AI as a job creator, not a job killer
For Hooker, the evening meant swapping a formal dinner with India’s Prime Minister for a quiet meal in her hotel room, all thanks to Delhi’s traffic.
Follow Us
Ayushi Jain
Ayushi works as Chief Copy Editor at Digit, covering everything from breaking tech news to in-depth smartphone reviews. Prior to Digit, she was part of the editorial team at IANS. View Full Profile
