Kerala taps SAS for AI-driven overhaul of social welfare scheme delivery
As governments increasingly turn to data and artificial intelligence to deliver more targeted and efficient public services, the government of Kerala is taking its next step in that journey. To support the state's digital transformation initiatives, the Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM) has selected SAS, a global leader in data and AI, as a strategic analytics partner to strengthen governance, service delivery and accountability across social welfare programmes.
The collaboration marks an important milestone in Kerala's ongoing efforts to harness advanced analytics and AI to drive enhanced transparency in beneficiary selection, and to establish a safety net for disaster prevention, mitigation and response. By leveraging SAS's advanced analytics capabilities, the state aims to streamline beneficiary management for all social protection schemes in Kerala, optimise scheme management, inform policy decisions with data, improve expenditure planning and simplify benefit delivery for citizens. By consolidating data and enhancing interdepartmental communication, it will boost transparency, accountability and effectiveness of social welfare programmes, benefiting both government stakeholders and citizens.
Through this initiative, the government of Kerala aims to bring a paradigm change in its present capabilities to detect and eliminate duplicate citizen records using intelligent clustering and de-duplication techniques, enhance decision-making with real-time insights and advanced analytics, improve governance and compliance through data-driven monitoring frameworks, and strengthen the delivery efficiency of social welfare schemes.
"Kerala has consistently been at the forefront of adopting digital technologies for governance. Our collaboration with SAS will further strengthen our ability to use data and analytics to improve service delivery, drive efficiency and make informed decisions that benefit our citizens," said Sandip Kumar, IAS, director, Kerala State IT Mission.
"We are proud to partner with the Government of Kerala on its digital transformation journey. SAS's AI and analytics capabilities enable governments to turn complex data into meaningful insights, supporting smarter governance, improved outcomes and citizen-first innovation," said Noshin Kagalwalla, vice president – public sector, APAC & managing director, SAS India.
The initiative aligns with Kerala's broader vision to leverage technology as a catalyst for inclusive growth, transparent governance and sustainable development. Through this collaboration, the state aims to set a strong example for data-led governance in India.