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‘Tis the season for KubeCon! If you’ve been following my journey, you know how much I look forward to these global gatherings. But this year, KubeCon Hyderabad 2025 was different for me. Instead of just being another speaker in the lineup, I had the immense privilege and responsibility of co-chairing the event – and to top it all, it was happening right here in my home city. It was a whirlwind experience, mixing the thrill of organizing a global conference with the warmth of showcasing local culture and cuisine.
In this blog post, I’ll share my complete journey – from receiving that unexpected co-chair invitation in February to delivering my biggest keynote ever in August, all while curating an unforgettable Hyderabadi experience for attendees.
From Kubernetes Newbie to KubeCon Co-Chair
I still remember the early days when Kubernetes and the whole CNCF world was this intimidating sea of jargon and complexity I barely understood. Fast forward to 2025, and I’m co-chairing one of the largest cloud-native conferences on the planet. It’s been quite the ride.
For those new here, I’ve chronicled my KubeCon adventures across several cities and continents:
- My KubeCon Chicago 2023 experience was where I first felt the pulse of the community.
- Then came KubeCon Paris 2024, where I deepened my technical talks and met amazing folks.
- Later in 2024, I attended KubeCon Salt Lake City 2024, expanding my network even more.
- My first KubeCon in India – Delhi 2024 – was especially meaningful, bringing the community closer to home.
- And just earlier this year, I shared my impressions in London at KubeCon Europe 2025.
Each event has been a stepping stone, but none quite like KubeCon India 2025. The fact that it was in my city made it deeply personal. Having been a CNCF Ambassador for a few years and an organizer of CNCF Hyderabad meetups, I had built a local community that I was eager to showcase to the world.
The venue for the event was the iconic Novotel HICC, a fittingly grand location to host such a prestigious event on August 6-7, 2025. Two days packed with talks, workshops, and networking – and I was at the helm, co-chairing.
Co-Chairing vs Speaking: A Whole New Ballgame
If you’ve ever spoken at a conference, you might imagine that’s the bulk of what it takes to be involved. Well, co-chairing KubeCon opened my eyes to the massive machinery behind the scenes.
The Email That Changed Everything
It all started with a ping in February 2025. I received an email invitation to co-chair KubeCon India 2025. I won’t lie – excitement mixed with a fair bit of nervousness. It felt like a huge honor but also a huge responsibility. Could I balance my speaking commitments with the organizational load? How would I manage the pressure?
The Hidden World of Conference Organization
Soon after accepting, I plunged into understanding the teams involved:
- Program Committee: Responsible for reviewing thousands of CFP (Call for Proposals) submissions.
- Logistics and Venue Management: Coordinating with the venue and vendors to ensure smooth operations.
- Community and Local Engagement: Ensuring the event was not just global but deeply local, reflecting Hyderabad’s vibrant culture.
- Marketing and Communications: Crafting announcements, schedules, and managing social media buzz.
The CFP selection process was particularly intense. We received almost a thousand proposals, and the challenge was balancing technical depth, diversity of topics, and speaker representation. I learned quickly how painstaking and political this process can be – balancing community voices while maintaining quality. There were heated debates, tough calls, and a constant push to ensure inclusivity and excellence.
The Stress and Satisfaction Rollercoaster
There were moments of stress, like when the CFP deadline loomed and we had to finalize the schedule. I remember late nights discussing slot allocations, juggling session overlaps, and managing last-minute speaker changes. The pressure to keep everything on track while maintaining fairness was immense.
But nothing compares to the satisfaction of seeing the finalized schedule announced and the buzz it generated. The real magic was when it all came together on August 6. Seeing thousands of attendees flow through the doors, watching speakers deliver, and knowing I had played a role in making it happen was incredibly fulfilling. The energy was electric, and the pride of co-chairing my home city’s edition was overwhelming.
Hyderabad’s Heartbeat: Food and Local Experiences
If you know me, you know I’m passionate about food (and yes, I’m often the guy everyone corners for restaurant recommendations). So when the opportunity arose to curate local Hyderabadi food experiences for KubeCon attendees, I was all in.
Why Food Matters
Food tells stories – of culture, history, and community. I wanted attendees from all over the world to taste the local food, not just see it. From iconic biryanis to lesser-known delicacies, I worked with the event team and local caterers to bring authentic flavors to the venue. It was important to me that the food reflected city’s rich heritage, blending Mughlai, Telugu, and Persian influences.
One of my favorite projects was collaborating on speaker gift hampers. We curated hampers filled with local goodies from Osmania biscuits, travel adapter, a jute bag and a fridge magnet.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many speakers told me these were the best gift hampers they’d ever received at a tech conference! It felt amazing to share a piece of Hyderabad’s soul with the global cloud-native community.
The Keynote: Facing My Biggest Audience Yet
Delivering a keynote to 4000 people was a milestone for me – by far the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken to.
The Stage as Co-Chair
Being on stage as a co-chair felt different from just being one of many speakers. There’s a sense of ownership and responsibility. I wasn’t just sharing knowledge; I was representing the entire event and community. That weight was palpable but exhilarating.
Standing on the stage, looking out over such a vast and diverse audience, I felt both humbled and energized. It was a moment that crystallized all the months of preparation, stress, and passion.
Biryani and Developer Experience
I knew that my keynote had to have two things that I absolutely loved – Food and Platform Engineering – and that’s exactly what I spoke about. Just as people are absolutely careful about choosing a biryani restaurant in Hyderabad, similary developers also spend ample time in finding and choosing their next tool and hence the developer experience journey right from finding the tool to using it and advocating about it. Watch the video below:
The energy from the crowd was incredible, and I felt a deep connection not just as a speaker but as an organizer who had helped shape the event. The applause, the engagement, and the follow-up conversations made it clear that the message resonated deeply.
It was a proud moment to see the fruits of months of planning unfold on stage and to realize that I had not only spoken to my largest audience but had done so in my hometown, adding a personal layer to the experience.
Lessons Learned and Personal Growth
Co-chairing KubeCon was a masterclass in event management and community leadership.
New Skills Acquired
- Organizational Coordination: Juggling multiple teams and timelines, ensuring smooth communication across departments.
- Conflict Resolution: Managing differing opinions during CFP selection and balancing competing priorities.
- Community Engagement: Balancing local culture with global expectations to create an inclusive event.
- Stress Management: Learning to thrive under pressure while maintaining a clear vision.
Compared to Speaking Only
Speaking at KubeCon is rewarding, but co-chairing adds layers of complexity and satisfaction. I learned the importance of patience, flexibility, and clear communication. Stress was inevitable, but so was the joy of seeing the event succeed.
The behind-the-scenes work gave me a newfound appreciation for every aspect of conference production – from logistics to marketing to community building. It’s a delicate dance that requires passion, collaboration, and resilience.
The Satisfaction-Stress Balance
It was a rollercoaster of emotions – stressful deadlines, last-minute hiccups, but the overwhelming joy of delivering an event that felt both global and deeply personal. The key takeaway? The hard work behind the scenes makes the magic on stage possible.
This experience has enriched my perspective on leadership and community stewardship, fueling my commitment to continue growing and contributing.
Reflecting on the Journey: From Attendee to Co-Chair
Looking back, this role caps off a remarkable phase of my KubeCon journey.
- From being a curious attendee trying to grasp Kubernetes fundamentals.
- To an active speaker sharing knowledge and experiences.
- Now, stepping into leadership as a co-chair, influencing the event’s direction and local flavor.
Bringing KubeCon to my city was a personal and professional privilege. It was a chance to showcase my city’s rich culture and vibrant tech community to the world.
This milestone feels like both an ending and a new beginning – a capstone to my KubeCon journey so far and a springboard for future endeavors in the cloud-native ecosystem.
Wrapping Up
KubeCon India 2025 was a landmark experience. Co-chairing transformed how I view conferences – not just as platforms for learning and speaking but as massive collaborative efforts blending technology, culture, and community.
A massive thank you to the CNCF community, my fellow co-chair, and everyone who made this event unforgettable.
If you’ve got any queries or suggestions, drop them in the comments below. You can also tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM me on Instagram @Atulmaharaj, or Get In Touch.
Previous KubeCon Blogs for Reference
- My KubeCon Chicago 2023 Experience
- KubeCon Paris 2024 Experience
- KubeCon Salt Lake City 2024
- KubeCon Delhi India First KubeCon
- KubeCon Europe 2025 Maharaj in UK
