K. H. Hussain

K. H. Hussain is a computing expert and typeface designer from Kerala, India. In the early days of the Malayalam computing, he came into the field of Malayalam computing by creating his own Malayalam font and text editor. He received Dr. Pradeepan Pampirikunnu Memorial Mathrubhasha (Mother Tongue) Award instituted by Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, and Government of Kerala e-Governance Award.

Hussain's major contributions include eleven fonts including Rachana, Meera, Keraliyam, Tamil Inime, Dyuthi, Uroob and Panmana, the preservation of millions of pages in five digital archives, and the Arabic Malayalam keyboard. He was also responsible for setting up the first computer based information system in Malayalam.

Biography

K. H. Hussain was born in 1952 in Eriyad near Kodungallur in Thrissur district of Kerala. He graduated from UC College, Aluva in 1978 with a degree in mathematics.

Attracted towards the Naxalite movement in Kerala, Hussain was jailed for 20 months for working against the Emergency in India. Hussain became part of the Rachana due to his knowledge of computers.

Hussain has worked with the Sayahna Foundation, aimed at preserving classic Malayalam books, founded in 2015 by C. V. Radhakrishnan.

Contributions Hussain's major contributions include Malayalam fonts including Rachana, Meera, Keraliyam, Tamil Inime, Dyuthi, Uroob and Panmana, the preservation of millions of pages in five digital archives, and the Arabic Malayalam keyboard. He also developed a naming convention for the characters, making programming and writing shaping rules easier.

The font Uroob designed by him is named after Malayalam writer Uroob. In 2015, with the financial support of International Centre for Open Source Software, an autonomous organisation under Government of Kerala, the font was re-designed, and released as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of Uroob's noted novel Ummachu.

In memory of actor Bahadoor, on the 25th anniversary of his death, a new font named Bahadoor, prepared by Hussain was released in May 2025. The Bahadoor font is based on a commemorative book released in 1978 as a continuation of the reception given to Bahadur in his birthplace.

Awards and honours 2018: Dr. Pradeepan Pampirikunnu Memorial Mathrubhasha (Mother Tongue) Award instituted by Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, for his contributions to the Malayalam language. 2010: Government of Kerala e-Governance Award