Context:

On 5th December 2025, India Post, under the Department of Posts (DoP) and Ministry of Communications, launched DHRUVA—Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address. This initiative builds upon the DIGIPIN ecosystem and is aimed at creating a citizen-friendly digital address system in India. DHRUVA is conceptualized as an Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) platform, facilitating standardised, geo-coded addresses that can be used across government and private sector services.

About DHRUVA:

DHRUVA has been compared to UPI IDs for addresses, enabling easy sharing and verification of address information. The system complements traditional postal addressing by:

• • Providing Digital Address Identifiers (DAIs)
  • Enabling standardised representation of addresses and postcodes
  • Allowing generation, validation, and exchange of address information in a consent-based mechanism
  • Facilitating registration of Address Service Providers (ASPs) and authorisation of Address Validation Agencies (AVAs)
  • Creating a national Network Administrator and governance architecture aligned with India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) vision
  • Ensuring grievance redressal, adjudication, and penalties

The system also aligns with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, safeguarding address data as personally identifiable information (PII).

About DIGIPIN:

DIGIPIN (Digital Postal Index Number) was India’s first step toward a digital addressing system. Developed collaboratively by India Post, IIT Hyderabad, and ISRO’s NRSC, it divides the country into geo-coded grids for accurate address representation, especially in rural and densely populated areas lacking formal infrastructure.

Key features of DIGIPIN include:

• • Open-source, interoperable AaaS framework for public and private applications
  • Integration with mapping platforms; for instance, MapMyIndia adopted DIGIPIN to provide last-mile address connectivity
  • Availability of geo-referenced data on Open Government Data Platform and GitHub

Significance of DHRUVA:

1.       Enhanced Precision in Service Delivery: Reduces errors in communication, postal services, and e-commerce deliveries.

2.      Digital Public Infrastructure: Strengthens India’s DPI by providing an interoperable addressing system that can be used across sectors.

3.      Geospatial Sovereignty: Encourages domestic mapping solutions in line with India’s 2021 Geospatial Data Guidelines, limiting foreign companies from hyper-precise mapping services.

4.     Inclusivity: Provides addresses to regions without formal recognition, facilitating financial inclusion, urban planning, and emergency services.

5.     Public-Private Collaboration: Enables integration of addresses in fintech, logistics, healthcare, and governance platforms.

Policy Implications:

DHRUVA reflects India’s commitment to indigenous, citizen-friendly digital solutions, creating an open, interoperable addressing system. By complementing DIGIPIN, it aligns with India’s geospatial policy, DPI goals, and data protection framework, while promoting innovation among Indian companies in the mapping and location services sector.

Conclusion:

DHRUVA marks a transformational step in India’s addressing system, bridging traditional postal infrastructure with modern digital technology. By providing standardised, consent-based digital addresses, it is poised to enhance service delivery, boost e-governance efficiency, and support India’s vision of a digitally empowered society.