My journey from Sri Lanka to India’s premier cloud-native conference
A Dream Come True: The Dan Kohn Scholarship
I’m thrilled to share my incredible experience at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India 2025 in Hyderabad, made possible through the prestigious Dan Kohn Scholarship from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).
My heartfelt gratitude goes to Kanchana Wickremasinghe, Audra Montenegro, and Wendi West from CNCF for selecting me from the KCD Organizer digest, and special thanks to Kemila De Silva for nominating me. This opportunity opened doors to an unforgettable learning and networking experience that will shape my cloud-native journey for years to come.
Reuniting with Fellow Sri Lankan Cloud Native Leaders
One of the most exciting aspects of this trip was meeting my fellow KCD organizers and CNCF ambassadors Kemila De Silva and Chamod Shehanka Perera. These amazing individuals traveled to Hyderabad to speak on the first day of KubeCon, representing the vibrant Sri Lankan cloud-native community on an international stage.
Day 1: Keynotes, Connections, and Big Announcements
Our first day began with the essential conference ritual of collecting our badges and heading to the keynote hall. The energy was palpable as thousands of cloud-native enthusiasts gathered under one roof.
A Brief but Memorable Encounter
After the keynotes, we had the privilege of meeting Chris, the CTO of Cloud Infrastructure at CNCF. Despite his hectic schedule, he graciously took a minute to speak with us, a testament to the inclusive and welcoming nature of the CNCF community.
Exciting News: KubeCon 2026 Mumbai
During the initial keynotes, we received thrilling news: KubeCon 2026 is coming to Mumbai in July! This announcement was met with thunderous applause and signals the growing importance of India in the global cloud-native ecosystem.
Solution Showcase: Unexpected Sri Lankan Connections
The Solution Showcase proved to be a treasure trove of discoveries. We were delighted to meet two fellow Sri Lankans making their mark in the cloud-native world:
- Nimesha Jinarajadasa, who works for KodeKloud
- Sajeeva Lakmal, A remarkable individual who holds the distinction of being the world’s first (joint) Golden Kubestronaut!
These chance encounters reminded us of the global reach of Sri Lankan talent in the tech industry.
Exploring Cutting-Edge Observability
The showcase floor buzzed with innovative technologies. We dived deep into new observability solutions, exploring offerings from:
- Middleware
- Grafana Labs
- ClickHouse
Each interaction provided valuable insights into the evolving landscape of cloud-native monitoring and observability.
Solving Real-World Problems: AWS EKS Discussion
One of the most practical benefits of attending KubeCon was the opportunity to discuss real challenges with experts. I had an invaluable conversation with the AWS EKS team in India regarding an EKS cluster upgrade issue I was facing. They not only provided their team’s contact information but also demonstrated EKS Auto Mode, showcasing how to fully automate managed clusters.
Building Partnerships: Grafana Labs Connection
A particularly exciting conversation was with Ana Vrsalovic, Developer Programs Specialist at Grafana Labs. I shared details about KCD Sri Lanka, scheduled for October 26th, and she graciously promised support for our future events. These partnerships are crucial for strengthening the global cloud-native community.
Technical Deep Dives and Learning Sessions
gRPC Lightning Talk
In Hall 3, I attended “Essential Resources for gRPC Development” by Kannan Jayaprakasam. This lightning talk provided valuable insights into the updated features of gRPC, enhancing my understanding of this critical communication protocol.
Infrastructure Knowledge Graphs
Hall 1 hosted “To Succeed in Platform Engineering, Build Infrastructure Knowledge Graphs” by Safeer. This session opened new perspectives on platform engineering approaches and the importance of visualizing infrastructure relationships.
A Taste of Hyderabad
The authentic Hyderabadi lunch was a delightful cultural experience, offering delicious local flavors that perfectly complemented the day’s technical sessions.
Dockerfiles vs Buildpacks
Back in Hall 3, Ram Iyengar (who previously spoke at our KCD Sri Lanka 2023) presented “Dockerfiles vs. Buildpacks: What’s the Cloud Native Way?” This session was particularly engaging as it demonstrated how to transform applications into containers with remarkable ease.
Sri Lankan Spotlight: Community Leadership Talk
The day’s highlight was Kemila’s and Chamod’s presentation: “Lessons from Running a CNCF Community: Mistakes, Wins, and Growth.” They shared the incredible journey of KCD Sri Lanka, from its inception to its current success, and revealed the upcoming KCD Sri Lanka date: October 26th.
Day 2: Deeper Connections and Advanced Topics
Morning Rituals and Networking
Day two began with breakfast at HICC, followed by inspiring keynotes and the perfect accompaniment, authentic Indian chai with biscuits. These small moments of cultural immersion added richness to the technical conference experience.
Video Interviews and Community Building
We conducted several video interviews with members of the Indian CNCF community and tech experts, focusing on promoting KCD Sri Lanka. These conversations strengthened cross-border community connections and built anticipation for our October event.
Machine Learning Meets Cloud-Native
I attended “Bridging Big Data and Machine Learning Ecosystems: A Cloud Native Approach Using Kubeflow” by Johnu George & Shiv Jha. This session provided valuable insights into the intersection of ML and cloud-native technologies.
Cast AI Deep Dive
Meeting Kunal from Cast AI led to an informative demonstration of their platform’s capabilities. His colleague walked us through Cast AI’s functionality, answering our questions and clarifying how their solution addresses real-world Kubernetes cost optimization challenges.
Golden Kubestronaut Wisdom
Another enriching encounter was with Sajeeva, a Golden Kubestronaut. Our knowledge-sharing session was invaluable, providing insights from someone who has achieved the highest level of Kubernetes expertise.
Reflections: An Unforgettable Experience
As the conference drew to a close, I found myself already missing the energy, learning opportunities, and connections that made KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India 2025 so special.
Gratitude and Recognition
My humble gratitude goes to the organizers of KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Hyderabad and the entire CNCF team for orchestrating a massive event with 4000+ participants. The seamless execution and inclusive atmosphere made this experience truly unforgettable.
This KubeCon experience has reinforced my belief in the power of community, the importance of knowledge sharing, and the incredible potential of cloud-native technologies to transform how we build and deploy applications.
Short Video: https://youtube.com/shorts/joc7WyER8L4
#KubeCon #CloudNative #CNCF #KCDSriLanka #Kubernetes #Community
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