DHRUVA and DIGIPIN: How India Is Leveraging Tech to Solve Its Complex Addressing Riddle A lack of standardization as well as variations of the same address, landmark-based descriptions, unmarked and unmapped settlements have created ambiguity and duplication.

India has long grappled with the archaic address, relying on the conventional systems using pincodes. In the era of last-mile connectivity and rapid urbanisation, clearly these systems are inefficient. One of the recent improvements and initiatives is DIGIPIN, which itself is a radical step forward, and now, it's building on the same with a new system called DHRUVA (Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address).

This new tech-enabled architecture takes cues from the existing models like UPI to help end users provide an easier way to share their addresses with businesses. The goal is to give every location a precise, digital, and universally address in a secure manner. And instead of long, inconsistent written addresses that confuse businesses, DHRUVA assigns a clean digital identifier to every point on the map.

For logistics, ecommerce, and other sectors dependent on connectivity, DIGIPIN and DHRUVA represent a transformational shift. Essentially, these sectors can now tap into the possibilities of faster doorstep delivery, fewer delivery errors, reduced customer disputes, and most importantly, predictable last-mile operations.

Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha disclosed that the department has finalized a Central Sector Scheme called 'DHRUVA' that aims to recognize address information management as a foundational public infrastructure, "which is vital for effective governance, inclusive service delivery, and enhanced user experience", and to develop a "Digital Address Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) - the array of services associated with address data management."

What Is DIGIPIN And Why Does It Matter?

Diving deeper into the problem areas, India has gone through rapid urbanisation in the last few decades while the address system has more or less remained unchanged. A lack of standardization as well as variations of the same address, landmark-based descriptions, unmarked and unmapped settlements have created ambiguity and duplication. Additionally, most address databases rely on self-entered information that is incomplete or unverifiable. Together, these issues make accurate navigation and service delivery significantly more difficult.

It's not that the private companies have not tried to solve this problem for India. Back in 2018, Flipkart had said that its data scientists have developed a machine learning model that not only makes sense of complex Indian addresses but also finds application in detecting and eliminating address fraud.

Cut to 2025, India is now hyper digitized and has successful models like UPI and ONDC to refer to.

As far as the efforts to standardise addresses go, DIGIPIN, developed by India Post in partnership with IIT Hyderabad and ISRO, is essentially a geocoded and open-source architecture which is a 10-character alphanumeric code which shows precise latitude and longitude coordinates of a location. The system re-imagines the geography, including exclusive economic zones into smaller grids for more precision. There are plenty of benefits over the conventional system such as fixed GPS coordinates vis-a-vis postal areas, which are subject to changes.

Since the introduction, the department is working to expand its coverage and adoption through MoUs with private players. Earlier this year, the Department of Posts (DoP) signed an MoU with the ESRI India Technologies Private Limited (ESRI India), a Geographic Information System (GIS) software and solutions provider.

Previously, Mapmyindia became the first to integrate DIGIPIN for more accurate location information on its Mappls map service. Another private company to implement DIGIPIN is Genesys International, which has integrated the new standardized digital address system into its nationwide 2D and 3D mapping platform.

Entrepreneur India has reached out to Mapmyindia to learn more about their DIGIPIN implementation.

Under the hood, systems like DHRUVA and DIGIPIN are powered by a blend of advanced technologies, including GIS mapping, satellite geospatial data, and AI-driven address parsing tailored for India's unstructured address system.

Machine learning continuously improves accuracy with every delivery, while API-based microservices enable smooth integration with e-commerce and logistics platforms. Secure, encrypted storage layers ensure safe handling of address data. Together, these technologies help logistics providers better understand neighbourhood patterns, delivery constraints, and optimal routing.

DHRUVA, AaaS, and Industry

DHRUVA essentially builds on the gains made from the DIGIPIN and aspires to create something called "Address-as-a-Service."

"The initiative aims to recognize address information management as a foundational public infrastructure—vital for effective governance, inclusive service delivery, and enhanced user experience. It seeks to build a robust address data sharing and management ecosystem that ensures smooth integration across both public and private sectors. By giving users meaningful control over their address data, the policy promotes user autonomy, drives innovation, and supports ease of living," according to the Department of Posts.

"Furthermore, DHRUVA seeks to foster a collaborative ecosystem in which public and private stakeholders co-create user-centric solutions built on a secure and trusted digital foundation. It aims to catalyze innovation across key sectors—such as governance, e-commerce, logistics, and financial inclusion—through broad-based adoption by ministries, state governments, and other stakeholders."

A draft billion DHRUVA says the framework will consist of elements such as Digital Address Identifiers (DAI), addresses and postcodes, generation and use of address identifiers, validation of address information associated with an address identifier, registration of address service providers, authorisation of address validation agencies (AVAs), a national Network Administrator, a governance architecture to support India's DPI vision for address management, grievance redress, adjudication, and penalties, according to Medianama.

Evidently, there are a variety of benefits for various sectors if the systems are implemented properly.

Atul Mehta, CEO of Domestic Shipping at Shiprocket tells Entrepreneur India: "The main challenge is that current addresses were not designed for digital use. The same residence may be described in multiple ways across languages and platforms, often referencing changing landmarks such as "near the new shop" or "behind the old temple." Traditional six-digit pincodes cover large areas and do not identify specific entrances, floors, or buildings, particularly in dense cities or informal settlements."

"Each organisation develops its own internal address-cleaning, mapping, and verification processes, which are costly and often imperfect. Digitisation has typically involved storing inconsistent address text across more systems. DHRUVA and DIGIPIN address the root issue by standardising location representation, allowing services to build on a consistent foundation," he added.

On leveraging technology for solving India's decades-long problem, Mehta said that DHRUVA adds a digital address layer and secure APIs to the grid, allowing authorised government and private systems to read, write, and update address information in a structured manner. Designed as digital public infrastructure, similar to Aadhaar or UPI, it enables broad innovation on a standard, interoperable core.

"For Shiprocket, this means address verification tools, checkout processes, fraud detection, and routing engines can all utilise the same national addressing backbone, rather than relying on free-text inputs and internal methods. This creates a logistics ecosystem that is faster, more cost-effective, and significantly more predictable and inclusive," he further explained.

According to RapidShyp CEO Ravi Goel, the new tech-enabled solutions offer transformative opportunities.

"Accurate address verification reduces non-deliverable orders and RTOs, while improved last-mile predictability strengthens ETA and EDD accuracy. Precise geocodes enable more intelligent courier allocation, faster delivery planning, and reduced fraud, especially in COD or fake address cases. Together, these advancements build a more efficient, reliable, and profitable delivery ecosystem," he said.

Naturally, there are going to be concerns around privacy, and the current systems are not really assuring. Over the years, we have seen misuse of these data, including locations, to scam end customers as well as causing losses to businesses. New systems attempt to address these as well.

"They follow a strict consent-first model, meaning a customer's digital address can only be accessed when they explicitly allow it. All information is encrypted and tokenised, ensuring that raw address data is never unnecessarily exposed to businesses. Additionally, every access is fully logged and auditable, significantly reducing the risk of misuse and strengthening accountability. In essence, the system delivers accuracy and efficiency without ever compromising personal data," Goel explained.

Having said that, new tech-enabled platforms like DHRUVA and DIGIPIN represent a huge leap forward in addressing India's prolonged issue of a complex and inefficient addressing system, thereby aligning with the modern, hyper-digitized world. For businesses, particularly in e-commerce and logistics, precise data and digital identifiers can save significant time, energy, and money. However, the success of these systems will hinge on effective implementation and how interoperable they prove to be. According to Medianama, the last date to submit comments on the draft bill for the new system is December 31. It is likely that implementation could start next year.