Kerala’s KITE has been recognised by NLSIU as a national benchmark for FOSS adoption, saving ₹30 billion and transforming over 16,000 schools through sustainable, vendor-independent digital innovation.
A sectoral case study report by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, has hailed Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) as a national benchmark for Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) adoption. Published in July, the report The Rise of FOSS in India: Empirical Evidence and Insights from Cross-Details identifies KITE as a key model, alongside the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
KITE, which began as the IT\@School project in 2001, moved entirely to free software in 2007, rolling out over 50 FOSS applications under the KITE GNU Linux Operating System across more than 16,000 public schools. This large-scale deployment created a secure, cost-effective, and flexible digital ecosystem. The switch is estimated to have saved the state 30 billion in the education sector.
KITE CEO K. Anvar Sadath underlined the scale of the achievement:
“The scale of what we are doing with ICT education would not have been possible without FOSS.”
The study highlights how FOSS promotes academic freedom, enabling teachers and students to customise tools to curriculum needs while strengthening Kerala’s reputation as a knowledge society.
KITE’s success story is now being extended beyond Kerala, with the Little KITES programme set for expansion to other states. The model demonstrates how FOSS can drive large-scale, sustainable, and vendor-independent transformation in the public sector.
Adding to this momentum, Kerala will observe Software Freedom Day 2025 on September 20, inaugurated by General Education Minister V Sivankutty. Schools will hold a special assembly on September 22 to take a Free Software Pledge, followed by awareness and training events until September 27, led by Little KITES clubs.
