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Chaos in India as investor summit devolves into viral food fight

Viral videos revealed a frenzy of jostling attendees, where the promise of corporate deals was drowned out by the clatter of dropped dishes

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Attendees, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre), pictured at the Global Investors’ Summit 2025 in Madhya Pradesh. Photo: Invest Madhya Pradesh
SCMP’s Asia desk
The Madhya Pradesh Global Investors’ Summit promised to be a high-profile showcase of India’s booming economy, a magnet for corporate investment worth 30.8 trillion rupees (US$353 billion).

Instead, it became a viral spectacle – not for its business deals, but for food fights.

Videos of attendees jostling for puri and sabzi at the summit’s food pavilion on February 24 and 25 have eclipsed the event’s lofty ambitions, reported Indian daily The Economic Times.

Attendees jostle for plates of puri and sabzi at the Madhya Pradesh Global Investors’ Summit in this still from a social media video. Photo: X/muralitwit
Attendees jostle for plates of puri and sabzi at the Madhya Pradesh Global Investors’ Summit in this still from a social media video. Photo: X/muralitwit

The footage, widely shared on social media, shows guests jostling for plates, cutting queues and dropping dishes in chaotic scenes more reminiscent of a school cafeteria than a premier investment summit.

“This rush by fake ‘investors’ to grab the free lunch reminds me of how lawyers rush for food stalls,” quipped one observer on social media, where the incident sparked a storm of commentary. Some blamed poor event planning for the mayhem. Others pointed fingers at alleged “filler” attendees – individuals present simply to pad the event’s numbers – desperate for a free meal.

But not everyone saw the humour. Many used the incident to critique deeper societal issues.

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