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Hari Nikesh R
  1. 🏆 Honors & Awards/

Organiser & Recognition @ Hackfusion 2026 – VET Institute of Arts and Science, Erode

·351 words·2 mins
Hari Nikesh R
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Hari Nikesh R
Hackfusion 2026

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.

And yes… being honoured on stage by respected dignitaries was a moment I’ll always remember.

For me, the proudest part wasn’t simply being on the stage — it was being able to create a stage for others.

Honoured by Dignitaries at Hackfusion 2026

Open Source Lab Showcase with District Collector
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Another memorable moment was our interaction with the Honourable Erode District Collector, where we had the opportunity to showcase the innovative 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
Showcase with Honourable Erode District Collector

We presented our Open Source Lab initiative and received valuable feedback and encouragement from the District 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 incredible dedication and hard work.

Hackfusion 2026 Mentorship and Team Moments

My Contribution / Learnings
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  • Represented Tamilnadu JUG as an organizer and host for the national-level hackathon.
  • Partnered with StartupTN, OurKadai Technologies, and VET IAS to provide a launchpad for student builders.
  • Mentored and trained students across multiple colleges in open-source development and modern engineering practices.
  • Presented the Open Source Lab roadmap and student projects directly 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 continuous support and guidance.

Relevant Links#