Lucknow Tech Geeks get together for Google I/O Extended Meetup

‘Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” - Howard Zinn

The above quote correctly embodies the essence of the Google I/O Extended event that was conducted at Lucknow’s Seth M.R. Jaipuria Institute of Management on 1st of June, 2019. The event, conducted by a group of local technology enthusiasts and programmers was a hotspot for exchanging ideas and sharing stories of how technology is shaping our future in the years to come.

The Google I/O Extended event was graced by the presence of Mr. Heera Lal, the District Magistrate of Banda, who has been instrumental in implementing technology and has been making efforts to improve ground level facilities in the city.

The event was flagged off by the welcome address by Ashish Mishra, a city-based techie and one of the members of the core team organising the event who highlighted the events that were in the fray as the evening progressed. Google I/O Extended events are meant to bring together enthusiasts and like-minded individuals under a single roof to experience the Google community event for software and web application developers, held every year at Mountain View, California.

Community-building and idea-sharing are one of the cornerstones of building a great nation. Understandably, support for such initiatives helps in creating a path for technological advancement. If we don’t share ideas, we wouldn’t be able to keep pace with the developments around us and that eventually would hinder the progress we can make with new, innovating ideas that will change the world.

The audience watched in rapt attention as the address of Sundar Pichai, the Google CEO, was played on the big projected screen. The video highlighted the initiatives Google has been working on, over the past year. On a lighter note, Pichai joked about how they had shortened the length of the event because of the Barcelona vs. Liverpool match that day. He also talked about the work Google has undertaken in the Augmented Reality (AR) sector and how it is committed to building a more immersive search experience for users across the globe using the technology. A loud applause followed as the announcements were made, providing some breath-taking live demonstrations of the possibilities that exist with AR.

Anchor for the event, Shivam Vashishth kept the audiences entertained with his witty one-liners and sense of humour, often coming up with quick and spontaneous jokes as the event moved forward. Not only this, The Groovy Guys, a city-based music band enthralled the audiences with their rendition of the Game of Thrones theme song, among others.

Chief Guest for the evening, Mr. Heera Lal, stressed upon the need for wide-scale implementation of technology in administration and how it has helped Banda, the district he is posted in, to develop a more sustainable way of living, evident by the 10.8 % increase in voter turnout being the highest jump in Uttar Pradesh since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He further laid out his blueprint to develop the district through technology, innovation and entrepreneurship schemes.

The event also saw a stand-up comedy act by Amaan Javed and an address by Mr. Hemant Thakur, founder of MOST, a Lucknow-based NGO working towards educating children belonging to less-privileged families which cannot afford education for their children. The efforts being put in by the organisation were evident when a few children displayed what they have been learning to a nearly packed auditorium.

As the event progressed, an address on the scope of game development and the hand-holding provided by gaming-engine software company, Unity Technologies, was held by its Head of Marketing, Ms. Shruti Verma, who was one of the guests at the event. The event finally concluded with a dance performance and distribution of gifts and mementos for attendees and guests.

If you want to read more about Start-up Ecosystem in Lucknow, you might want to read this article.

Story Credits: Manan Trivedi

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