PGDay Hyderabad 2024 Reflections

Introduction

As a senior database consultant and developer at CYBERTEC PostgreSQL International, I enjoyed speaking at PGDay Hyderabad 2024. This event marked two firsts for me: my first time visiting India and the first-ever PostgreSQL conference held in Hyderabad. I was filled with excitement and curiosity as I started this journey. I didn't know what to expect, but I was eager to experience it all.

Arrival and first Impressions

I arrived in Hyderabad late at night, around 2:00 AM. While I was a little tired from the long flight, I was extremely excited.. However, I made two rookie mistakes. First, I didn't buy a local SIM card, which left me without mobile internet for the whole trip — a particularly unpleasant experience in India, where OTPs are required even for something as simple as Uber. Second, I didn't exchange money for local currency, leading to small logistical challenges. And the driving culture? Well, let's just say that seeing it live was a real surprise! 😱😅

Being in India for the first time was a cultural shock — but in a good way! Everything here is different from what you're used to in Europe. The tempo of life is wild, and the cuisine is an adventure of its own. Yes, it's spicy, but I handled it! If you ever have the opportunity to visit India, please do so. It's an unforgettable experience.

Exploring Hyderabad

Despite the rain pouring down the entire day, I was glad I took a full-day tour of Hyderabad. I visited Golconda Fort, The Charminar, Laad Bazaar, and Mecca Masjid Mosque. One of the highlights was stopping at the famous Nimrah Cafe, where the owner welcomed me and gave me a kitchen tour. I sampled an assortment of delicious pastries and tasted their renowned tea. Spending time there, soaking in the atmosphere, was a beautiful experience. I highly recommend it!

My First PGDay in India

In general I had no particular expectations at my first PostgreSQL conference in India. I just wanted to live in the moment and take everything in as it unfolded. Of course I was curious how the Indian community would receive my talk, "Professional PostgreSQL Monitoring Made Easy," which I've presented many times before.

I was happy to see the full room for my talk. The audience was incredibly engaged, and I received several clever and interesting questions. The highlight of my experience came afterward when two attendees approached me to show how they used PGWatch in their workflows. They drastically improved their Grafana dashboards, and their work was so impressive that I immediately encouraged them to open-source it! These moments remind me why I love being part of this vibrant, innovative community.

The atmosphere at PGDay Hyderabad was special, at least for me. People in India are incredibly kind and peaceful. It's hard to put the differences between this and other conferences I've attended in Europe or elsewhere. You just need to visit India and experience it for yourself!

I had the chance to meet many local PostgreSQL community members, which was fantastic. Some of them I had met at previous events, while others I knew from online interactions or through working with CYBERTEC on various projects. It was heartwarming to hear such positive feedback about my colleagues, particularly Ants Aasma.

India is making great strides in diversity within its PostgreSQL community. I had the pleasure of speaking with representatives from "Postgres Women India," who are doing wonderful work to promote inclusion.

As is my habit, I only attended a few talks on the day of my presentation. Before my talk, there's always some pressure, and after, I tend to be exhausted. It's hard to remember much from talks that day, except for the incredible interactions with attendees.

Conference Venue and Organization

The conference occurred in the VAJRA-C4 building at the IIIT-Hyderabad Campus, and tickets were sold out weeks in advance! The venue was well-suited for this year's event, but they'll need a larger space with such a high demand for next year.

Discovering a Growing PostgreSQL Community

The audience was warm and welcoming to all the speakers. It was a pleasure to present to such an engaged group. India's PostgreSQL community is growing rapidly, and I'm thrilled to have become a part of it. I'm excited to see how this community will continue to evolve and thrive. Local PostgreSQL communities are the backbone of the global ecosystem. Meetups and smaller local groups lay the foundation for larger events like PGDay and PGConf. They play an essential role in driving PostgreSQL adoption and innovation.

Looking Forward to Future Events

I had an amazing time at PGDay Hyderabad. I'm already looking forward to PGConf India 2025, which will occur in Bengaluru in March. I'd also love to attend other PostgreSQL events, for example, in Australia and Japan in the future.

Conclusion

I'd like to thank the organizers, sponsors, and everyone who attended PGDay Hyderabad 2024. It was a fantastic experience, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for PostgreSQL in India and beyond. Until next time, happy Postgres-ing! 🖖