From DigiLocker to AI, Kerala is Building the Future of Governance: Sandip Kumar, Director, KSITM

In an exclusive conversation with Express Computer, Sandip Kumar, Director, Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM), discusses how Kerala is emerging as a national leader in digital governance. From pioneering certificate-less services to experimenting with AI-led innovations, unified government platforms, data-exchange systems, and cyber-resilience programs, he explains how the state is reshaping citizen service delivery and preparing for a future driven by AI, data, and secure digital infrastructure.

Edited Excerpts:

Kerala’s certificate-less governance program has gained national attention. Could you walk us through its journey and impact?
Our certificate-less governance initiative is essentially a full-scale adoption of DigiLocker across all departments. Although DigiLocker has existed since 2016–17, many departments had not onboarded themselves into the system. When I joined KSITM, it became clear that Kerala required a structured campaign that would enable the state to fully leverage the platform. We began positioning it as a ...