Thiruvananthapuram: Dr Anish R. and Dr Prakruthi K recently got married in a ceremony in Kochi, Kerala, and shortly after, registered their marriage online from their apartment in Pune, Maharashtra, over 1,200 km from their home state. Unlike traditional procedures requiring physical presence and long waits at local offices, the couple successfully completed their marriage registration via an innovative video E-KYC system.

This online registration is part of Kerala’s pioneering digital initiative launched by the Local Self-Government Department through its K-SMART platform, developed by the Information Kerala Mission (IKM). Launched across urban bodies in January 2024 and expanded to rural areas in April this year, the platform enables residents to register their marriages from anywhere in the world without the need for physical appearance at local government offices.

Between January 2024 and September 22, 2025, Kerala recorded 1,44,416 marriages, of which 62,524 were registered online. Thrissur led in online registrations with 10,062 cases, followed by Malappuram with 8,345, and Thiruvananthapuram with 7,394. Santhosh Babu, CMD of IKM, highlighted this as a historic milestone in digital governance, noting the regional uniqueness of Kerala’s approach compared to other Indian states and countries that still require physical presence for marriage registration.

The online registration process is straightforward: couples and witnesses verify their identities through video KYC using Aadhaar-based OTP or email authentication. Once completed, digitally signed marriage certificates are issued and can be downloaded immediately.

Dr Anish, now practising in New Delhi, praised the system: “We had only limited leave, and we rushed back to Pune within days after the marriage. We could not even think of coming back to Kerala soon for marriage registration. The digital registration system was really a saviour.” Similarly, Ashwin, a nurse from Varkala working in Malta, shared how he received his marriage certificate within minutes remotely.

Officials pointed out that the traditional method mandated physical presence, causing difficulties for Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs), and the new system has eliminated such barriers. In fact, some couples have registered their marriages even while on ships in the middle of the ocean. Jaya, the mother of software engineer Vijay in the United States, praised the platform for enabling timely visa applications by producing the marriage certificate digitally.

The online system has also eased the load on local self-government offices, with Guruvayoor Municipality’s Secretary Abhilash reporting a drop in physical appearances for marriage registration to just 10-25 per cent. Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple, a popular wedding venue, saw a decrease in in-person registrations as many couples, especially those living abroad, opt for the online method.

Though the system offers convenience, Santhosh Babu noted that public awareness still needs improvement, as many believe physical visits are mandatory before downloading certificates. The K-SMART platform continues to provide various citizen services online, including birth and death registrations, building permits, and property tax payments, further advancing governance digitisation in Kerala.

With inputs from PTI