The Department of Post has launched DIGIPIN for accurate location-based addressing

By Anuradha Gandhi and Rachita Thakur

Introduction

The Department of Post in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and NRSC, ISRO under its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiative, has launched Digital Postal Index Number (hereinafter referred to as “DIGIPIN”) on May 27, 2025 with the aim to offer a standardized, nationwide geo-coded addressing system in India to ensure seamless delivery of public and private services and to enable Address as a Service (AaaS) across the country[1].

The broader initiative under which DIGIPIN operates is called Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA) which provides an interoperable geocoded platform facilitating consent-based sharing of address information enabling users with control over their address data[2].

The bounding Box dividing India into a 4×4 GRID

• Longitude 63.5 – 99.5 degrees east
• Latitude 2.5 – 38.5 degrees north

The Core Concept of DIGIPIN

What is DIGIPIN?

DIGIPIN is an open source 10-character alphanumeric code representing a specific 4-meter by 4-meter (approx.) grid unit on the map of India.

Derived from the latitude and longitude coordinates of the grid unit, DIGIPIN provides a logical and precise location identification both offline and online in a human readable format[3].

Key Properties

1. Designed for Indian context, all points of interest to India (including maritime regions) can be assigned codes with the possibility to assign unique digital addresses even in areas that are very densely populated.
2. Bridges the gap between physical locations and their digital representation.
3. Is independent of the land use pattern and the structure built. It is the permanent digital infrastructure that does not change with the changes in the name of the city, or locality or on the road network area.
4. As it provides accurate location, therefore it can be used in:

• Emergency situations
• Rural connectivity
• Deliveries

DIGIPIN and Data Privacy

The Privacy Policy of Department of Posts describes how the Department and Government of India processes personal information through the DIGIPIN application. Built on the standards of Data Privacy, it inculcates the following features[4]:

1. Consent-based Location Sharing: Incorporating the consent-based sharing of location i.e. latitudes and longitudes.
2. No Retention of Data: Location data is not being stored or retained for any further usage and is not attributed to any personal identifiers such as private address, name, mobile number or email.
3. Cookies: Use of Cookies limited to verification and to prevent automated use of DIGIPIN application

DIGIPIN and Data Privacy

The introduction of DIGIPIN is likely to positively impact:

1. Cost reduction with reduced delivery failures
2. Enhance market access to rural and remote areas
3. Digital transformation with user safety

Rishabh Gupta, Junior Associate Advocate at S.S.Rana & Co. has assisted in the research of this article.

[1] https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/Pages/digipin.aspx

[2] https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/DOP_PDFFiles/IP_30052025_Digipin_English.pdf</a

[3] https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/DOP_PDFFiles/DIGIPIN%20Technical%20document.pdf

[4] https://dac.indiapost.gov.in/mydigipin/privacy-policy