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Hari Nikesh R
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Organizer at Hackfusion 2026 @ VET Institute of Arts and Science, Erode

·380 words·2 mins
Hari Nikesh R
Author
Hari Nikesh R
Hackfusion 2026 National Level Hackathon

Event Summary
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One moment you are attending community events…
The next moment, you are standing on stage hosting a National Level Hackathon!

I had the privilege of representing Tamilnadu JUG and hosting Hackfusion 2026, a national-level hackathon organized at VET Institute of Arts and Science (Co-ed) College, Erode, in collaboration with OurKadai Technologies, VET Institute of Arts and Science (Co-ed) College, Erode, and StartupTN.

Being honoured on stage by respected dignitaries was a moment I’ll always remember. But for me, the proudest part wasn’t simply being on the stage — it was being able to create a stage for others.

On Stage at Hackfusion 2026

The hackathon brought together enthusiastic student builders, industry professionals, and community mentors under one roof to tackle real-world problems and drive collaborative innovation.

Open Source Lab Showcase with District Collector
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Another memorable highlight was our interaction with the Honourable Erode District Collector, where we had the opportunity to showcase the projects developed by our Open Source Lab students from:

  • Kongu Engineering College
  • PSNA College of Engineering and Technology
  • VET Institute of Arts and Science (Co-ed) College, Erode
Showcasing Open Source Lab to the District Collector

We presented our Open Source Lab initiative and received valuable feedback and encouragement from the Collector. It was truly inspiring to see the students confidently demonstrate what they had built through the training and mentorship provided by us.

The Open Source Lab was initiated with a vision to nurture an open-source culture among students, build strong contributors, and create a community-driven ecosystem across India. Sincere thanks to Geetha Elango and all the Open Source Lab students for their relentless efforts and hard work.

Hackfusion 2026 Team & Mentorship

My Contribution / Learnings
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  • Hosting & Organizing: Represented Tamilnadu JUG in coordinating and hosting the national-level hackathon.
  • Ecosystem Partnerships: Collaborated with StartupTN, OurKadai Technologies, and VET IAS to deliver a seamless event experience for all participants.
  • Mentorship & Open Source Guidance: Mentored participating students and guided the Open Source Lab teams across multiple colleges.
  • Government & Institutional Showcase: Led the demonstration of student projects to the Erode District Collector.

Keep building. Keep failing. Keep learning. Most importantly, keep giving others a platform to grow.

Special thanks to Karthika Keerthivasan, Vignesh Chandrasekhar, Sathish Kumar Thiyagarajan, Thiru Murugan, Rohan J, Muthuraman A, ASHWIN S, and Sai Mounik for their tremendous support and guidance.

Relevant Links#