Welcome Information


Welcome to IndiaFOSS 2025 - India’s largest FOSS conference! Whether you’re a seasoned developer, passionate advocate, student, or curious explorer, this guide ensures you’ll make the most of your conference experience.


Communication


Join the FOSS United Community and stay connected and get the latest updates via our official channels.
Please drop your queries on the telegram channel or email us at indiafoss@fossunited.org.


What's happening at IndiaFOSS 2025?


  • Talks: Diverse sessions on FOSS projects, tech policy, FOSS trends, community, sustainability, hardware and more.

  • Workshops: Intensive, hands-on learning sessions held on Day 0 (19 September). These span beginner to advanced topics. Tickets for workshops need to be purchased separately. Find the list of workshops here

  • Devrooms: Mini-conference tracks curated by different communities, running parallel to the main conference on 20-21 September. Find the list of devrooms here

  • Panels, BOFs, & Discussions: Participate in broad or niche group conversations.

  • Open Spaces & Demos: Engage with live FOSS project demos, install parties, and hands-on “project showcase” booths. Try tools, provide feedback to FOSS projects, and learn how to contribute. Find the list of booths at IndiaFOSS here - [WIP]

  • Networking & Stories: Plenty of opportunities to meet like-minded peers, swap stories, and brainstorm ideas.

  • Pre-events: We are organising a bunch of co located events before the conference this year. Find the list here

Tickets & Registration


  • Register through the official website - https://fossunited.org/indiafoss/2025

  • Ticket Benefits: Access to all talks, BOFs, devrooms, workshops, networking areas, and meals during the main event. Conference tickets include access to all sessions, food and snacks on both days. Tickets for workshops on 19th are to be purchased separately.

  • Please note that the entry begins promptly at 8 AM. We recommend planning your commute to ensure you arrive on time.

  • Refund & Transfer Policy: We are unable to refund ticket purchases, but you can transfer your ticket to others who’d like to attend the conference. Please go through our Refunds and Transfers policy here - https://fossunited.org/refund-transfer-policy

Arrival in Bengaluru


Please refer to this Travel and Accommodation guide for detailed info.


Venue and Facilities


  • Location: NIMHANS Convention Centre, Hosur Road, Bengaluru. The venue is centrally located and accessible by public transport.

  • Parking: Parking is available at the venue.


Conference Program


The schedule for IndiaFOSS 2025 is now live fossunited.org/indiafoss/schedule.


Food and Beverages at the Event


Your ticket covers breakfast and lunch for both days. The timings are mentioned on the schedule page; note that lunch timings are slightly different across the rooms. This is partly for crowd management reduce queing at the counters; we request that you kindly follow the timings of the room that you find yourself in close to lunch.


Water dispensers are placed throughout the venue. IndiaFOSS is a low waste event. So, we will not have disposable cups for you to drink water. Please bring your own water bottle and refill from the dispensers.


We will also have paid all day tea/coffee available at the venue. Please pay using UPI or cash, directly to the vendor at the stall.


Breakfast


For breakfast on both days, we have the favourite local go-to combination: Idly, Vade with Chutney and Sambar. End your breakfast with your beverage of choice, like the locals do, with Filter Coffee or Tea.


Lunch


The lunch menu on both days is as below:


Day 1 Day 2
Main Course Main Course
Kadai Veg with Paneer Subji Kolhapuri
Bhindi do Pyaaza Aloo Capsicum do Pyaaza
Dal Fry Channa Masala
Veg Pulao Jeera Pulao
Phulka (ghee/butter on request) Poori
Accompaniments Accompaniments
Green Salad Green Salad
Pickle Pickle
Roasted Papad Roasted Papad
Desserts Desserts
Gulab Jamun Gulab Jamun
Ice Cream (Vanilla/Butterscotch) Ice Cream (Chocolate/Strawberry)


Food Ingredients


We have at-least one query asking for ingredients used in the food, and we're doing our best to get this from the caterers and update here. Please check at the venue if you want specific information.


Item Ingredients
Idly Idly rava, Urad Dal, Salt
Vade Urad dal, chillies, coconut, Indian spices and salt
Sambar Toor dal, tomato, onion, coconut, Indian spices, tamarind, red chillies, jaggery, salt
Chutney Coconut, green chillies, coriander, fried gram, tamarind, jaggery, salt


Take our Food Survey to aid our Low Waste Efforts


Your ticket includes breakfast and lunch on both days. IndiaFOSS aims to be a low waste event, and the major aspect of this is reducing food wastage. To achieve that goal, we need to provide better estimates to the caterers w.r.t the food plate count at various times. This is where your input can be very useful. We will be sending all attendees a food survey. This will help us get better estimate the food count for various times. We request that you complete this by September 16th. By participating in this survey, you will help us in our endeavour to run a well organized low waste event.


Kindly please fill out the survey form here


Photography and Videography


  • We will have photographers and videgraphers covering the event.
  • By attending the conference, you consent to being photographed or recorded. If you prefer not to be captured, please inform us beforehand.
  • A group picture will be taken towards the end of the event.


Social Media


Official Hashtag: #IndiaFOSS2025


Follow Us:


Tips for First-Time Participants


  • Plan Your Day: Review the program and shortlist talks, devrooms, or workshops you don’t want to miss.

  • Arrive Early: Secure a good spot and enjoy breakfast with fellow early birds.

  • Engage, Don’t Hesitate: Ask questions, share ideas, and introduce yourself to speakers and peers.

  • Pack Smart: Bring your laptop, chargers, ID, and a water bottle. We try to minimise our impact on the environment, so water bottles and tissues will not be provided at the venue. Bengaluru weather in September is friendly, but an umbrella won’t hurt.

  • Code of Conduct: All attendees are expected to abide by the FOSS United events code of conduct - https://fossunited.org/code-of-conduct

  • Follow Social Media: For last-minute updates, follow our official Social Media handles, join the Telegram group, and check the event website regularly.


The Bengaluru Experience


Suggested accommodations near the venue


Please refer to the Travel and Accommodation guide for more details.


Points of Interest


  • Lalbagh Botanical Garden: A beautiful garden known for its glasshouse and diverse plant species.
  • Bangalore Palace: A majestic palace reflecting Tudor-style architecture.
  • Cubbon Park: A large urban park perfect for a leisurely walk.
  • Vidhana Soudha: A grand government building, a symbol of Bengaluru's political heritage.
  • Bannerghatta National Park: A popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts, featuring a zoo and safari experiences.


Transportation in Bengaluru


  • Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)
  • Namma Metro
  • App-Based Taxis/Autos/Bikes : Ride hailing services are widely available for convenient intra-city travel. We recommend using Namma Yatri.


Weather


  • During the IndiaFOSS conference, expect warm and humid conditions typical for Bengaluru in September.
  • Temperature: Daytime highs around 25-30°C (77-86°F) with cooler evenings.
  • Rainfall: There may be occasional showers, so carrying an umbrella or light rain jacket is advisable.


Currency and Payment Methods


  • Currency: The local currency is the Indian Rupee (INR).
  • ATMs: Widely available; most accept international cards.
  • Payments: Credit/debit cards and digital wallets like Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe (and others) are commonly accepted.