India Proposes DHRUVA: A Unified Digital Addressing System for Seamless Services

Why in News ?

The Department of Posts has released a draft amendment to the Post Office Act, 2023 proposing the creation of an interoperable, standardised, and user-centric digital addressing system known as DHRUVA — Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address.

Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA)

DHRUVA is an initiative of the Department of Posts aimed at establishing a nationwide Digital Address Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

It envisions an interoperable, standardised, and geocoded digital address system that enables:

• Secure sharing of address information
• Consent-based usage of address data
• Seamless communication between government, businesses, and citizens

At the heart of DHRUVA lies the concept of Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) — a suite of services built around verified, structured, and digitally accessible address data.

The Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) Framework

Key Pillars:

1. Interoperability

Allows addresses to work across different government, private, and logistics systems.

2. Standardisation

Ensures uniform address formats and precise geolocation tagging nationwide.

3. Consent-Based Sharing

Users retain full control over how their address data is accessed and used.

4. Public-Private Integration

Creates space for innovation and integration across sectors such as e-commerce, delivery, digital identity, and urban planning.

DHRUVA positions digital addressing as core national infrastructure, similar to Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker. Its goal is to streamline e-governance, improve logistics efficiency, and support urban planning, emergency services, and digital commerce.

User-Centric & Privacy-First Design

The system empowers users with complete control of their digital address identity:

• Manage who can access their address
• Update details digitally
• Provide verified addresses for services such as KYC, banking, delivery, and government schemes
• DHRUVA will include:
  • Multilingual support
  • Mobile-first accessibility
  • Integration with Aadhaar and other identity systems
  • Inclusive design for rural, urban, and underserved regions

Integration with DIGIPIN (Digital Postal Index Number)

DHRUVA builds upon the earlier introduction of DIGIPIN, India’s nationwide geocoded addressing grid.

Key Facts About DIGIPIN

• It is an open-source, geo-coded digital addressing system developed by the Department of Posts, IIT Hyderabad, and NRSC–ISRO.
• India is divided into grids, each assigned a unique alphanumeric code based on latitude and longitude.
• DIGIPIN enhances:
  • Emergency response
  • Delivery and logistics accuracy
  • Governance and public service delivery