Back in the early 2020s, we started CNCG Kochi alongside AWS User Group Kochi with a clear intent — build a strong meetup culture and create a platform for learning and knowledge sharing.
KCD Kochi was always on our wishlist. But instead of rushing, we focused on the fundamentals — consistent in-person meetups, growing the community from scratch, and earning trust.
As the community grew, we made a commitment: bring Kubernetes Community Day to Kochi.
Grateful to have been part of the panel discussion on “Trusted AI Innovation for Nation Building” conducted by Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth as part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
Alongside the panel discussion, an AWS Cloud Bootcamp session was conducted for the students, representing AWS User Group Kochi.
Exchanging perspectives with fellow speakers and panelists on building responsible, trustworthy, and impactful AI systems was equally enriching.
The new CVV campus is truly impressive. Sincere thanks to Anupama Jims and the organizing team for the invitation and the warm hospitality.
Originally published on AWS Builder Center.
Building Communities That Last: The Journey of AWS User Group Kozhikode
Communities are not built overnight. They evolve through people, shared intent, and the willingness to step up when it matters most. The story of AWS User Group Kozhikode is a reflection of exactly that.
Back in 2022–2023, AWS User Group Kozhikode kick-started its journey with its first meetup, and we at AWS User Group Kochi were happy to support the community during its early phase. Like many grassroots initiatives, sustaining momentum requires consistent time, energy, and leadership. Over time, due to bandwidth constraints, the group became inactive, and we weren’t in a position to take it forward ourselves.
Winding up 2025 with pride — yes, we did it again.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for AWS Community Day Kochi 2025 – AI/ML Edition. This year marks a special milestone for me — the fifth edition of #acdkochi and seven consecutive years of organizing AWS Community Day events.
Every year, towards the end, we feel that familiar kick to do another round of ACD. This year, we were a bit unsure about whether to announce it — but once we did, we committed to delivering it in style. As always, our goal was to bring a world-class event experience for the Kochi community and raise the bar. I truly hope we lived up to that promise.
Back home after my fifth in-person AWS re:Invent!
This time of year is always special — a chance to regroup with fellow AWS Heroes and builders traveling from around the world. Loved reconnecting with old friends, making new connections, and taking a much-needed break from the daily chaos. The week was packed with learning, inspiration, and networking.
Special thanks to Ross Barich, Farrah Campbell, Taylor Jacobsen, and the entire team for everything you do to make this event amazing. And always an honor to be part of the AWS Heroes family.
Originally published on AWS Builder Center.
At AWS re:Invent 2025, Dr. Werner Vogels delivered his final keynote — and with it, one of the most grounded answers to a question we’ve all been asking: “Will AI take my job?”
His response was refreshingly clear: No. Not if we stay curious, keep learning, and continue to evolve as builders.
For many, including me, Werner’s keynote is the one session we never miss at re:Invent. His engineering wisdom, honesty, and clarity have guided an entire generation of cloud builders. Knowing this was his last keynote made the message even more powerful.
Back home after an incredible week of learning, networking, reconnecting with old friends, and making new ones in the community — truly an amazing experience!
Grateful to the AWS team and organizers — Taylor Jacobsen, Ross Barich, Farrah Campbell, Gunnar Grosch, Jason Dunn, Shafraz Rahim, Rashmi Nambiar, Vinicius Senger, Paxton L Hall, Corey Strausman and team — for curating a week filled with keynotes, breakouts, and Ask Me Anything sessions with the product teams. Learned so much from them.
It’s been a while since I delivered a talk, and this time I had the pleasure of organizing and speaking at the Ctrl+Cloud event, powered by CloudKeeper in association with AWS User Group Kochi and CNCG Kochi.
The session covered Amazon EKS Auto Mode — I hope it gave everyone a good starting point. Now go ahead and try it out yourself.
Thank You
- CloudKeeper for sponsoring the event
- Fellow speakers Sanooj Mananghat and Ronak Goyal
- The organizing team — Vishnu KS, Vignesh Naduvathuparambil, Aarushi Ranjan, Farzan F A, Muhammed Iqbal P B, Ansil H, Adarsh K Kumar
- JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Kochi — our venue partner
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