At a glance:
- Involved in open source since: 2025
- Works for: IBM
- Eclipse Foundation contributor since: 2025
- Involved in: Eclipse PDE™
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Eclipse Foundation committer since: 2026
What's your background as a developer?
I completed my Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology at Kalyani Government Engineering College, India, in 2020. After that, I joined TCS [Tata Consultancy Services], where I worked as a Python and Go developer. That's where I started my journey as a developer.
After working there for more than a year, I moved to Dell, where I worked as a Java full-stack developer. I worked in a microservices-based architecture and gained experience with the Spring Framework, building distributed systems and RESTful APIs using Spring MVC, Apache Kafka, Azure, MongoDB, and MySQL.
After that, I joined IBM's Runtimes team, which develops Java runtimes and Eclipse Foundation frameworks. Today, I'm working as a Java backend developer, mostly on Eclipse Platform Debug. That's my journey as a developer.
How did you get involved in open source?
I had come across many open source projects during college and in the years that followed, but I hadn't had the opportunity to contribute to one. That changed when I moved from Dell to IBM. At IBM, I got the chance to work on an Eclipse Foundation open source project. My leads were very supportive and helped me get started. Since no one else on my team was working on the Eclipse Platform Debug repository, I took ownership of that area and began contributing there. That's how my open source journey began.
Looking back, I really enjoyed that transition from being a user of Eclipse Foundation projects to contributing to it. There's something rewarding about helping develop and maintain the same tools I once relied on as a developer. Being part of the Eclipse Platform project and its community has been a valuable and fulfilling experience.
How did you then become a committer at the Eclipse Foundation?
I started contributing to Eclipse PDE™ in January 2025. Initially, I worked on issues affecting IBM customers while also contributing upstream to the Eclipse Foundation project. I began by picking up "good first issues," which helped me become familiar with the codebase, the contribution process, and the community.
Contributing to an open source project was a very different experience from working on internal software. Every contribution goes through careful review, often involving feedback from multiple maintainers and contributors. It was a great learning experience, as each review helped me write cleaner code, think more carefully about design decisions, and better understand the project's standards and long-term goals.
One aspect that stood out to me was the quality of the code reviews. The discussions weren't just about getting a change merged. They were opportunities to learn. I was fortunate to receive thoughtful guidance from experienced committers, including Hannes Wellmann, Ed Merks, and many others, who were always willing to share their expertise and help me improve my contributions.
As I became more familiar with the project, I started taking on larger and more complex issues. With each contribution, I gained confidence and became more involved in the Eclipse Foundation community.
I was honoured to become a committer recently. For me, it reflects the trust the community has placed in my work and brings a greater responsibility to help maintain the project, review contributions, and support new contributors.
Looking back, the most rewarding part of the journey has been becoming an active member of the community. Contributing consistently allowed me to build trust, participate in technical discussions, and help improve a project that I use every day.
What have been the biggest challenges as a committer?
Since I became a committer only recently, I'm still learning and adapting to the role. So far, the biggest change has been thinking beyond my own contributions. Instead of focusing only on fixing an issue or implementing a feature, I now have to consider how changes will affect the project in the long term and whether they'll be easy for others to understand and maintain.
Another new responsibility is reviewing contributions from other developers. It's not just about checking whether the code works, but also about providing constructive feedback and helping contributors improve their changes. That's given me a new perspective on software development and collaboration.
As I'm still early in my journey as a committer, these are the main challenges I've experienced so far. I'm sure there will be many more opportunities to learn as I take on greater responsibilities within the project, and I'm looking forward to those challenges.
What have been the highlights of being a committer?
One of the biggest highlights has been seeing my contributions become part of the Eclipse Platform and knowing that my work is helping improve a project used by developers around the world. It is rewarding to contribute to a project that I have used myself.
Becoming a committer has also given me a stronger connection with the community. I now have the opportunity to participate more actively in technical discussions, share ideas, and contribute to the future direction of the project.
The most satisfying part has been the trust and recognition from the community. Knowing that my contributions are valued and that I can play a role in maintaining and improving projects has been a very motivating experience.
Any advice for someone interested in getting involved in open source?
I would highly recommend getting involved in open source because it provides a great opportunity to learn, grow, and collaborate with people from around the world.
The most important advice is to simply get started. It is natural to feel hesitant in the beginning, especially when you are new to a project or community. Don't let the fear of asking a basic question or making a mistake stop you. Everyone starts somewhere, and asking questions is part of the learning process. Also, remember that contributing to open source is not limited to writing code. You can report issues, review changes, suggest improvements, share feedback, participate in discussions, or help other contributors. Every contribution helps the project and the community grow.
Any recommendations for companies relying on open source?
From my perspective at IBM, I see tremendous value in open source. Many of the technologies companies rely on today are built on open source projects, making it important for organisations to actively participate in the communities behind them.
My recommendation is that companies encourage and support their employees to contribute to the open source projects they depend on. These contributions not only help improve the projects themselves but also create stronger collaboration between companies and the wider community.
Having engineers who actively participate in upstream projects also provides significant benefits. They gain a deeper understanding of the technology, can help bridge the gap between company priorities and community development, and build stronger relationships with maintainers and contributors. Since open source communities often operate differently from internal development teams, having people who are connected to both worlds can be extremely valuable.