IndiaFOSS 2026

Open
Hardware
Devroom

Talks, demos, and hard-won lessons from the people building open hardware in India.

Submit a Proposal Get Tickets
About

Open-source hardware is a vital but still underrepresented part of the FOSS ecosystem. While open-source software has gone mainstream, open hardware faces unique challenges around cost, manufacturing, sourcing, documentation, licensing, and distribution.

But open hardware in India is at an exciting point. More students are designing their first PCBs, more indie makers are shipping kits, more collectives are forming around building things, and more ambitious open hardware products are reaching global audiences.

This year, we want to shift the focus toward the next generation of builders. The goal is simple: make the devroom a place where people leave thinking, “I can build something too.”

What We Hope To Do
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Showcase real-world open hardware projects being built in India and beyond.

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Give makers, students, and first-time builders a platform to present their work.

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Discuss the practical challenges of building and shipping hardware openly.

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Share knowledge around PCB design, embedded systems, fabrication, manufacturing, licensing, and documentation.

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Strengthen the Indian open hardware community through collaboration and networking.

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Help the next open hardware project find its first users, collaborators, or contributors.

Call for Proposals

Share your hardware journey. No matter where you are on it.

Suggested Topics

DIY Projects

Personal and community-driven builds — kits, gadgets, wearables, tools, art installations, robotics, assistive devices, or experimental electronics.

First-Time Builders

Talks from students, young hackers, and first-time speakers about their first PCB, first kit, first hardware project, first failure, or first shipped build.

Design & Tools

Workflows, lessons, tips, and war stories using KiCad, EasyEDA, LibrePCB, and other PCB design tools.

Microcontrollers

Projects and learnings around Arduino, ESP32, STM32, RP2040, Zephyr, FreeRTOS, CircuitPython, MicroPython, and other embedded platforms.

Silicon & FPGAs

RISC-V, open ASICs, FPGA toolchains, HDL workflows, verification, and open silicon development.

Prototype to Product

The journey from breadboard to PCB, from prototype to kit, and from small-batch manufacturing to Kickstarter or commercial hardware.

Security & Trust

Transparency, verifiability, secure design, supply-chain trust, and security practices in open hardware.

Community

How to build and sustain maker communities, hardware collectives, student groups, hackerspaces, and guilds.

Manufacturing & Docs

Lessons from sourcing parts, working with manufacturers, writing documentation, testing boards, managing revisions, and supporting users.

Cross-Disciplinary

Open hardware applied to education, agriculture, accessibility, sustainability, art, music, science, civic tech, environmental monitoring, or any other domain.

Talk Formats

Format Duration
Lightning Talk 10 min + 5 min Q&A
Standard Session 20 min + 5 min Q&A
Fireside Chat / Demo 30 min + 5 min Q&A
Submit Your Proposal

Select “Open Hardware” as the track when submitting.

From the Community

Projects from past devrooms and the broader open hardware community.

CoryDora

CoryDora

Open-source macropad, designed and shipped from India using KiCad, QMK, and FreeCAD.

Makerville Badge

Makerville Badge

Community devboard badge built with ESP32-C3, KiCad, Zephyr, and WebBluetooth.

JigIta

JigIta

Generate 3D-printable soldering jigs from any PCB design in minutes. One step, perfect results.

Minirack

Minirack

DIY 10-inch homelab server rack built from aluminium extrusions with a custom power supply.

Lampy

Lampy

Ambient desktop light with an ESP32 heart.

Explorer

Explorer

Open-source robot with omni-wheels and expressive LED eyes.

Glyph

Glyph

Compact ESP32 development board in a Feather-compatible form factor.

Talks & Videos

Highlight reel from the IndiaFOSS 2025 Open Hardware Devroom.

In Collaboration With

This devroom is organized with involvement from communities across the Indian open hardware and FOSS ecosystem.

Devroom Managers
Balu
Amit
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