 Chief Scientist (Scientist-G) About me Dr. Sabarish Karunakaran is the Chief Scientist (Scientist-G) at the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE). With a distinguished academic background in computer science and over 28 years of professional experience, he has established himself as a leader in digital transformation, cybersecurity, and e-governance innovation. He is a Certified Chief Data Protection Officer (CDPO, BCCS, UK), Certified AI Security Officer (CAISO, BCCS, UK), and TOGAF-certified Enterprise Architect, bringing rare expertise in combining secure digital infrastructure with sustainable development goals.Over the years, Dr. Sabarish has conceptualised and led pioneering projects such as the Mobile Governance Framework and DrSMS, which earned many National and International accolades which include the Computer world Honors Laureate Award (USA), National E-governance Award etc. He was instrumental in establishing CERT-K (Computer Emergency Response Team – Kerala), deploying AI-based enforcement automation for the Motor Vehicles Department, and directing the nationally recognised e-Governance transformation of the Kerala Public Service Commission. As Director of ICFOSS, Dr. Sabarish led not only technical innovation but also strategic visioning, financial planning, and operational oversight. His responsibilities included developing annual and multi-year budgets, allocating resources for labs, UAV stations, open hardware labs, and environmental monitoring deployments (e.g. LoRaWAN AWS in Kattakada), while ensuring both cost efficiency and impact. He collaborated with government, academic, and community stakeholders to define strategic goals and translate them into funded R&D programmes across FOSS, language computing, assistive technology, and drone-based ecological monitoring. In his role, he shaped governance processes, incubator infrastructure (such as Swatantra incubator space), and institutional policies that enabled ICFOSS to act as both an academic research centre and a service provider. While championing inclusive technology initiatives such as Women Hackathons, capacity-building programs, and back-to-work opportunities. These efforts earned ICFOSS international recognition as a finalist in the ITU’s Equals in Tech Awards from among 340 global nominations. His leadership not only helped bridge the gender divide in ICT but also positioned Kerala as a leader in FOSS-driven, citizen-centric innovation. Under his stewardship, ICFOSS scaled its operations, expanded its labs and incubation space (30,000 sq.ft. facility at Sports Hub), and drove high-impact pilot projects in open source language technologies, assistive devices, and environmental sensing, all aligned with ICFOSS’s mission and Kerala’s FOSS and sustainable development goals. His leadership has earned Kerala multiple recognitions, including Digital India Awards, National e-Governance Awards, NeSDA benchmarks, Web Ratna Awards, and the mBillionth South Asia Award. Internationally, he was a finalist for the SEARCC ICT Leadership Award (Colombo) and the Equals in Tech Award (ITU Geneva) for bridging the gender divide in ICT. At KSCSTE, he now steers the digitalisation of research governance and scientific services, ensuring alignment with open standards, cybersecurity, and innovation for public good. Name of Schemes & programmes (including external funded Programmes):
|
Academic
Academic Qualifications:
- PhD: Computer Applications (2017) – Noorul Islam University
- MBA- HR (1998) – IGNOU
- MCA (1993) – College of Engineering, Trivandrum , University of Kerala
- B.Sc. (1990) – Physics, University of Kerala
Professional Experience/ Academic Positions:
2018 – Present
Chief Scientist (Scientist–G) & Head, Information Systems Division
Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE)
Deputations:
- Director – ICFOSS (Chief Scientist, KSCSTE- on Deputation), International Center for Free and Open Source Software (Jun 2020 – Dec 2020)
- Head, E-Governance – KSITM (Chief Scientist, KSCSTE -on Deputation), Kerala State IT Mission (Dec 2018 – Jun 2020)
2013 – 2018
Scientist–F (Senior Principal Scientist)& Head, Information Systems Division
Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE)
2010 – 2013
Scientist–E2 (Principal Scientist) & Head, Information Systems Division
Information Systems Division, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE)
2005 – 2010
Scientist–E1 (Senior Scientist)
Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE)
Deputation: Mission Coordinator, Kerala State IT Mission (Aug 2008 – Oct 2012)
2000 – 2005
Scientist–C (Scientist)
JN Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI)
Deputation: Systems Manager (Scientist–C), Kerala Public Service Commission (Dec 2001 – March 2006)
1995 – 2000
Scientist–B (Junior Scientist/Systems Analyst)
JN Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI)
Research
- Digital Transformation and M/E-Governance
- Smart Cities, IoT, Blockchain, AI & Data Analytics
- Cybersecurity and Policy Development
- Quantum Computing
- Government Process Re-engineering (GPR)
- Mobile Governance Frameworks
- ICT Infrastructure & Service Delivery Models
Ongoing/Completed Projects
- Conceptualized & implemented over 30+ ICT projects with wide citizen impact
- Drafted Kerala IT Policies, IT Security Policy, and Electronic Delivery of Service Rules (2010)
- Led projects like e-District Kerala, E-Treasury, e-Office, Digital Service Gateway, SmartCop, Dr. SMS, Dam Alerts, Enforcement Automation etc
Publications
- K, ICT Interventions in Landslide Prediction Runout Modelling, Mitigation and Early Warning, Informatics Studies. ISSN 2583-8954, Vol. 11, Issue 4 Fourth Quarterly Issue. October – December 2024. P 03-10 (https://www.informaticsstudies.org/index.php/informatics/article/view/709)
- Karunakaran, Sabarish and Rao, Seeram Sambasiva, A Comparative Study on E Governance Data Framework Implementation in Estonia, Republic of Korea & Singapore (2023).
https://ssrn.com/abstract=4482708or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4482708 - Karunakaran, Sabarish and Rao, Seeram Sambasiva, Case Study : Digital Government in Singapore: The Critical Success Factors (2018).
https://ssrn.com/abstract=4451182or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4451182 - Karunakaran, Sabarish and Rao, Seeram Sambasiva, Comparative Study of E-Governance Implementation in Estonia, Singapore and South Korea (May 24, 2018). :
https://ssrn.com/abstract=4451165 - K and Shaji R.S, A Mobile Governance Framework for Geo-Referenced Emergency Management System, Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, Springer, 2016.
- K and Shaji R.S, ‘SMARTCOP’ – Mobile Governance Framework for Law Enforcement, Asian Journal of Information Technology, Medwell Journals, 2016.
- K and Shaji R.S, “DAM ALERTS” m-Powering Farmers with Irrigation Information and Flood Alerts, Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 2016.
- K and Shaji R.S, A Scalable Cloud Enabled Mobile Governance Framework, IEEE Xplore, 2014.
- K, Mobile Governance: The Kerala Experience and Insights for a Comprehensive Strategy, European Journal of E-Practice, 2011.
Other Publications & Compendium Contributions
- Geo-Referenced Electronic Mobile System Innovation and Strategic Business Practices in the Global Economy, IGI Global, 2015.
- Building a National E-Governance Architecture for Developing Countries, E-Asia Dhaka Proceedings, 2011.
- Innovation and M-Governance: The Kerala Mobile Governance Experience and Road-Map, W3C India Compendium on Mobile Governance, 2011.
- SMS – a Novel Mobile-Health Application, in E-health: Redefining Public Health, 2009.
- SMS – a Mobile Health Information System for Kerala, TRAI Compendium on Mobile Governance Initiatives, 2010.
- Chapter in Book Contribution to Computers As an Efficient Tool in Biodiversity Conservation and Documentation, Oxford University Press, 2001.
Conference Papers & Presentations
- Multiple biodiversity and ethnomedicine papers presented at national and international forums.
- SEEDS of Change: Proceedings of an International Conference on Ethnobotany, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK (contribution on traditional medicinal knowledge systems).
- Several invited talks and conference contributions on ICT in governance, mobile governance, and digital transformation.
Books Co-Authored
- Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants – A Participatory Approach (Handbook 1 & 2), TBGRI, June 2001.
- Cultivation and Trade Prospects of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, TBGRI, November 2001.
Awards
- Equals in Tech Award Finalist , ITU (2020)
- SEARCC Global ICT Leadership Award Finalist (2017)
- National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment Award (2019-21)
- Web Ratna – Digital India Award (2018)
- Digital India Award (2018) – Silver
- Computer World Honors Laureate Award (2011)
- E-India Awards (2014, 2010), e-World Awards (2012, 2011)
- Recognized by World Bank (IC4D2012) for Mobile Governance
Membership
Membership in Professional Bodies
- Internet Society (ISOC)
- Computer Society of India
- CIO-Klub
- Kerala Academy of Sciences
My Team
| Shri. Sunil Kumar S, | Project Fellow | + 91-471-2548238 | |
| Ms. Anuja N B | |||
| Ms. Reshma R | |||
| Smt. Sakhilekha A | Librarian Grade I | + 91-471- 2548238 | library[dot]kscste[at]kerala[dot]gov[dot]in |
| Smt. Jincy Rajan | Library Assistant | + 91-471-2548238 | library[dot]kscste[at]kerala[dot]gov[dot]in |
| Shri. Jayakrishnan JS, | Project Fellow | ||
| Smt. Salini, | Project Fellow |
Contact
Dr. Sabarish Karunakaran
Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram 695004, Kerala, India.
Mobile: +91 9447811556
Email: sabarishtvm@gmail.com