Please tell us about yourself, and where you are from.

My name is Shlok Kumar Kyal. I live in Bangalore, India. I am currently part of the PostgreSQL Open Source team at Fujitsu.

How do you spend your free time? What are your hobbies?

In my free time, I prefer reading non-fiction novels, listening to podcasts or watching YouTube videos related to PostgreSQL or other upcoming technologies, and playing badminton. I also learn to play the ukulele in my free time.

Any exercises you do regularly?

Yes, I do yoga daily and often go to play badminton.

Any Social Media channels of yours we should be aware of?

Linkedin

Last book you read? Or a book you want to recommend to readers?

I would like to recommend the book ‘Shoe Dog’. It is a memoir by Nike co-founder Phil Knight. I found the book inspiring and motivating.

Favorite movie, or show?

I like to watch anime. One of my favorites is ‘Demon Slayer’. Interstellar, ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara‘ are some of my favorite movies.

Best music, best song?

I enjoy listening to Hindi songs, particularly by artists Mohit Chauhan, Arijit Singh, and Anuv Jain.

What’s still on your bucket list?

I would like to witness snowfall and also try skydiving.

What is the best advice you ever got?

Whatever you do, give your 100%. This helps me when I plan a schedule for the day and try to focus on one task at hand.

When did you start using PostgreSQL, and why?

I began using PostgreSQL in June 2022 when I joined Amazon as part of the Aurora PostgreSQL team after my graduation. I worked on a PostgreSQL extension called ‘Babelfish’.

Do you remember which version of PostgreSQL you started with?

PG 14

Have you studied at a university? If yes, was it related to computers? Did your study help you with your current job?

Yes, I have a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering from IIT(ISM) Dhanbad. It was in my college days, where I started to learn programming and developed an interest in software development.

What other databases are you using? Which one is your favorite?

I have used SQLite, MySQL, and SQL Server. But I have mainly worked on PostgreSQL. I would say PostgreSQL is my favorite.

On which PostgreSQL-related projects are you currently working?

I am mainly working on Open-Source PostgreSQL and work on bugs/features related to Logical Replication.

How do you contribute to PostgreSQL?

I contribute by testing and reviewing code and providing patches to fix bugs or add a feature.

Any contributions to PostgreSQL which do not involve writing code?

I review and test patches. I also get involved in discussions of new features in PostgreSQL. I also volunteer for PostgreSQL Bangalore Meetup.

What is the feature you like most in the latest PostgreSQL version?

I liked the following features in the latest PostgreSQL.

1. Migrate logical slots to the new node during an upgrade : the logical slots are migrated from the old node to the new node during the upgrade.
2. Allow upgrades to preserve the full subscription’s state : the subscription’s full state is preserved after the upgrade of the node.
3. pg_createsubscriber: creates a new logical replica from a standby : it introduced a tool that converts a physical replication setup to logical replication setup.

These features altogether can remove most downtime while upgrading the replication clusters in PostgreSQL.

In general, in Postgres 18 I most like the feature ‘Add an asynchronous I/O subsystem’ and I plan to dive deep into it in order to understand its internals.

Adding to that, what feature/mechanism would you like to see in PostgreSQL? And why?

I would like to see Conflict Detection and Resolution in PostgreSQL as it will help to support horizontal scaling and active-active replication. There are already some threads going on about this feature. Also, I would like to see Logical Replication of DDL in PostgreSQL.

Could you describe your PostgreSQL development toolbox?

I use VSCode(Visual Studio Code) with some extensions such as GitLens, Remote SSH, C/C++ IntelliSense. I have VSCode on my laptop and connect to my source code on Ubuntu Virtual Machine through Remote SSH. I also use GCC compiler, GDB for debugging and Git.

Which skills are a must have for a PostgreSQL developer/user?

Knowledge of C, good debugging skills and basic understanding of SQL would be sufficient to start as PostgreSQL Developer.

Do you use any git best practices, which makes working with PostgreSQL easier?

Some of the git commands I frequently use are git pull, git format-patch, git commit, git am/git apply, git reset, git status, git diff, and git log.

Recently I found git worktree. It is useful for working in multiple branches concurrently.

Which PostgreSQL conferences do you visit? Do you submit talks?

I attended PGConf India in 2024, and I had the opportunity to present at PGConf India in 2025.

Recently, a PostgreSQL Meetup started in Bangalore, and I participated in these meetups, giving a presentation at one of them.

Do you think PostgreSQL has a high entry barrier?

No. PostgreSQL features clear documentation, well-structured comments, and a supportive community for queries.

What is your advice for people who want to start PostgreSQL developing - as in, contributing to the project. Where and how should they start?

Going through the -hackers and -bugs mailing list. Testing and reviewing some documentation or bug patches to start with. Also going through the documentation of PostgreSQL and PostgreSQL Internals will help in the process.

Do you think PostgreSQL will be here for many years in the future?

PostgreSQL is becoming increasingly popular, has a very active community, and continually adds great features. Therefore, I believe PostgreSQL will gain even more popularity in the future.

Would you recommend PostgreSQL for business, or for side projects?

Yes, I recommend PostgreSQL for both use cases. It is versatile, reliable, and extensible. PostgreSQL also has a strong community that offers timely and responsive support.

Are you reading the -hackers mailinglist? Any other list?

Yes, I also read -bugs, -docs and -committers mailing lists.

What other places do you hang out?

Postgres Hacker Mentoring Discord Channel, Slack.

Which other Open Source projects are you involved or interested in?

I am interested in some extensions of PostgreSQL such as pgvector and PostGIS.

Anything else you like to add?

I would like to thank Andreas for this interview. I also want to thank those who have helped me contribute to the PostgreSQL open-source community.