Hyderabad has always been a city of stories. Once the capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty and later nurtured under the Nizams, it was known for pearls, palaces, and poetry. Today, it’s called the IT capital of India, home to global tech giants and thousands of startups.
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And in between these timelines, one truth connects Hyderabad to PostgreSQL - resilience. Just as Hyderabad absorbed centuries of culture and kept growing, PostgreSQL has absorbed decades of contributions and become stronger with every release.
Landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, the first thing I noticed was order. The queues were managed with precision, almost like a database transaction flowing smoothly from one step to the next.
Driving through the city, I realized Hyderabad isn’t evolving only through new buildings, it’s evolving through the technology woven into everyday life. AR-powered toll booths, systematic traffic flows, even how crowds are handled - all of it showed me that innovation in India isn’t hidden in labs, it’s alive on the streets.
And that’s when a question sparked in my head:
“What really happens when you attend an open-source conference?”
I carried that question with me through the next two days.
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) began in 1965 as Nagarjuna Sagar Engineering College. By 1972, it grew into a full-fledged university, and today it stands as one of India’s premier centers for engineering and research.
Walking into JNTU, you don’t just see classrooms, you also see a breeding ground for curiosity, much like how open-source communities grow from small contributions into global ecosystems.
The first highlight of Day 1 was a workshop by Jobin Augustine on Disaster Recovery and High Availability in PostgreSQL. He has a rare gift—he doesn’t just explain concepts, he brings real scenarios to life.
We even discussed Kubernetes 2.0 and PostgreSQL, agreeing that success is always about the configurations. I shared one of my own ideas: building a human brain database using CYBERTEC tools, where Wrapperscould capture brain signals and SELECT + ANALYZE could help react in real time. Jobin listened, smiled, and said yes, but as we discussed further, I realized it always comes back to fundamentals.
Later, I spoke with our partner OpenSource DB, and one name kept surfacing - Simon Riggs. They praised his legendary contributions to PostgreSQL.
I felt honored. Back in my college days, I had read about Simon Riggs and worked on his contributions, never imagining I would one day be this close to the community. The connection deepened when I realized that one of my colleagues at CYBERTEC is actually his daughter. At that moment, I felt the circle of learning had come alive.
After the workshop, I roamed JNTU’s campus. The IoT lab was buzzing with Raspberry Pi projects and sensors. I shared ideas with a faculty member about connecting nature and technology - a philosophy I strongly believe in.
Students were innovating at an astonishing pace, and with co-working spaces inside the university, it felt like seeds of startups were already sprouting.
Lunch reminded me that Hyderabad innovates not just in code, but also in cuisine. I have always loved the spice of Konkan cuisine, but that day I was smitten by Hyderabadi flavors - the rice, and curries were stories on a plate.
Day 2 began with me running 30 minutes late. Normally, that would create panic, but Hyderabad’s traffic had its own rhythm. Even in heavy jams, cars kept moving slowly but surely.
It felt like replication in PostgreSQL: no matter how heavy the load, the system keeps progressing forward (just a thought).
Once I reached, I set up our CYBERTEC booth, and my excitement took over. Standing there, I realized how powerful it is to speak PostgreSQL with every single person.
Everyone can learn syntax, but it’s the innovative mindset that matters. You can either follow the trend, or you can generate your own fork.
I connected with students, professors, and professionals, and their questions went beyond features i.e., they asked how they could innovate. I didn’t just see people but I saw minds eager to write something new and let PostgreSQL be their canvas.
It was here that my Day 1 question “what happens when you attend an open-source conference?” was answered. You don’t just attend; you evolve.
CYBERTEC made this experience possible, fueling both my desire and curiosity to be part of such events. And the PGDay Hyderabad team deserves appreciation for choosing a university campus.
Universities are for learners, and conferences remind us that learning is not only about tech, it’s about honesty, community, and growth.
The best part? Seeing students everywhere, because in them I saw sparks of the same curiosity that once shaped me.
And yes a special thanks to my CYBERTEC team for the amazing swags. They weren’t just gifts; they became conversation starters, loved by everyone at the event.
The two days ended with lessons that stretched far beyond PostgreSQL. I left with ideas, friendships, and plenty of what ifs.
One struck me while boarding my flight: what if PostgreSQL powered airports? Imagine schedules, queues, and passenger flows optimized with the same efficiency as a well-tuned query.
And at that moment, I realized the answer to my Day 1 question:
Attending an open-source conference doesn’t just give you knowledge, it gives you a new way of seeing the world.
PGDay Hyderabad reminded me that this is not just open source, it’s open imagination.
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