Axelerant At Drupal Camp Pune 2023

Introduction

This article captures what we, at Axelerant, have learned about the current Drupal ecosystem through our presence in Drupal Camp Pune, 2023.

Drupal Camp Pune Happened After Four Long Years

When the event’s news made it to our ears, to put it mildly, yes, we were excited. Like burst-crackers-at-midnight excited.

And we crossed out dates on the calendar till August 5, 2023—the first day of Drupal Camp Pune. 

The last in-person Drupal Camp Pune happened right before the pandemic hit.

You’d think a general state of timidness would fill the air in the event—what with people meeting after so long. 

But far from it, the prevailing attitude was of excitement. And relief. 

And We Weren’t Missing It For Anything

Sponsorship, workshops, session speakers, volunteering—we pulled all the stops to help make this event memorable.

The trivia contests were a hit at our booth, so was the access to unlimited chocolates.

And our team members met techies who could hold their ground on conversations around new tech as smoothly as the current season of La Liga, or local gastronomy wonders.

The people made the camp spectacular—every person present at the event helped make it a success.

We Openly Shared Our Knowledge 

Eight out of the 12 session speakers were from Axelerant. Plus a workshop by Axelerant Senior Software Engineers, Binny Thomas and Dhirendra Mishra. 

(Find more session details below.)

The Drupal community is always buzzing with eager knowledge seekers and sharers.

You don’t see such footfalls everywhere. 

These were the session tracks:

• Beyond Drupal
• Business and leadership
• QA, DevOps, and infrastructures
• Drupal plus Back-end
• Community
• Front-end web design

Conducted A Direct Drupal Survey 

Big changes are making headway in Drupal, similar to any other CMS (Content Management System).

And the biggest is AI's (artificial intelligence) emergence.

That’s why we conducted a short, direct survey in the camp to see what the community feels about these changes.

Asking Questions Like. . .

Techies from various roles shared their views: developer, site builder, theming specialist, project manager, business owner, etc.

This is what they had to say.

How long have you been using Drupal?

How satisfied are you with the support and resources available in the Drupal community?

How do you see AI changing how you work with Drupal and beyond?

Over 90% of the participants said AI will affect the Drupal community positively.

"Drupal development will certainly become faster, and hopefully, it will help us focus on being more creative with our web applications," said Sushil Hanwate, a Developer associated with Drupal for over a decade. 

Most believe Drupal's AI integration will increase productivity by helping write better code, identify bugs and solutions, and streamline content creation.

"AI, when integrated well with Drupal, can help deliver customers a more personalized and engaging experience. Tools like GitHub Copilot will only make it easier for developers to write Drupal code, resulting in better developer productivity," shared Prateek Jain, a session speaker and the Director of Digital Experience Platforms at Axelerant. 

Some participants also shared that AI-powered websites can generate better business value through features like advanced search with voice and visual integrations, routine task automation, and predictive analytics.

The consensus was that AI and Drupal would complement each other's spread in the tech industry.

What improvements would you suggest to enhance Drupal’s capabilities?

"Drupal already has proved itself as the top content management system, especially with its large worldwide community," said Theming Specialist Anurag Deshmukh.

But technology is ever-evolving, and so is Drupal.

And these points—from techies using the platform for one year to a decade—can certainly help in its evolution.

More than half the participants wanted finer AI integration and robust security features in Drupal.

"Keep enhancing the security features and measures to protect the websites, encourage the community to contribute, and start using AI to enhance the fundamental features of Drupal," said Axelerant Software Engineer and session speaker Ulka Bendale. 

Almost 50% of the surveyed wanted the user experience and interface to improve for greater ease of use.

"Features like the project browser and automated updates are in development. The goal is to simplify Drupal as a no-code platform from the user's perspective," said Ajit Shinde, a Drupal Developer associated with Drupal for over a decade.

Young Drupalers shared a need for local development resources and better documentation. 

And a willingness to have more meet-ups echoed among all the surveyed.

If Drupal were a dog, what kind of dog do you think it would be?

And Gave Back To The Local Community

What makes Drupal camps special is their ability to bring the local community together. 

Over a shared love for Open Source. For a better, more inclusive future. 

In keeping with that spirit of giving back, we partnered with a local, Pune-based charity, Snehwan.

We aimed to donate $5 for every completed survey by the camp participants.

Thanks to them and their open spirit, we could contribute with a humble amount of $600.

If You’re Looking For A Change

If you're one of the amazing people with whom we had a blast at the camp, are you looking for a change?

Not one of them? Well, this goes for you, too. 

As long as you want to work where professional growth doesn't mean sacrificing personal wellness.

And If You’re Looking For The Session Details

Here you go. 

See you soon.