KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India 2026: Two days that changed my perspective on Cloud Native

I set a goal sometime last year. Before KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India 2026, I wanted to walk through those doors with all five Kubernetes certifications under my belt. CKA, KCNA, KCSA, CKS and CKAD. The full set.

It did not go exactly according to plan.

I cleared CKA, KCNA and KCSA without too much drama. Then came CKS, the Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist, and it humbled me on the first attempt. CKS is not like the other Kubernetes certifications. It demands deep troubleshooting, security-focused thinking, the ability to investigate and hunt down misconfigurations under pressure, and a level of hands-on practice that you cannot fake your way through. I came back for the second attempt more prepared, more focused and passed with 93%.

Then there was the CKAD. A month-long business trip to Seattle for a Microsoft event ate into my preparation time more than I anticipated. I made a call: I would go to KubeCon with four out of five certifications rather than rush into an exam I was not ready for. And honestly, I am completely fine with that. The goal has not changed. Only the timeline has shifted. CKAD is next.

What this journey kept reinforcing is something simple but worth saying out loud: success may be…