Why is this in news?
- The Department of Posts released a draft amendment to the Post Office Act, 2023 proposing a new digital addressing system called DHRUVA (Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address).
- The system aims to replace textual addresses with UPI-like labels (e.g., name@entity) and standardise digital addresses across services.
- The proposal includes a DIGIPIN, rolled out earlier in March 2025, as the foundational layer for precise geolocation-based addressing.
Relevance
GS-2 (Governance)
- Digital public infrastructure (DPI).
- Consent-based data architecture, privacy frameworks.
- Citizen service delivery modernisation.
GS-3 (Economy & Technology)
- Logistics efficiency, e-commerce, gig-economy enablement.
- Standardising geolocation systems; technological innovation.
GS-3 (Disaster Management)
- Last-mile identification for emergency services.
- Improving reliability of address databases for crisis response.
Basic understanding
- DHRUVA is a proposed interoperable, user-centric digital addressing system.
- Users would receive address labels (similar to UPI IDs), which act as proxies for their physical locations.
- Firms and platforms can access the actual address via a consent-based architecture managed by address information agents (AIAs).
- Intended to reduce repetitive manual entry of addresses across e-commerce, delivery, gig platforms, and government services.
Key features of DHRUVA
Address as a digital label
- Users can choose labels like name@entity, comparable to UPI handles.
- Labels can be shared instead of full addresses.
Consent-driven sharing
- The user authorises an entity for a specified duration.
- After expiry, re-authorisation is required to access the address again.
Governance structure
- A Section 8 not-for-profit entity will implement the system under government oversight.
- Modeled on institutions like the National Payments Corporation of India which oversees UPI.
Role for private companies
- E-commerce, logistics, gig platforms, and hyperlocal delivery apps are expected to be early adopters.
DIGIPIN: the underlying technology
Nature of DIGIPIN
- A 10-character alphanumeric code derived mathematically from latitude and longitude.
- Encodes an area of roughly 14 sq. metres.
- Designed for locations where textual addresses are ambiguous or absent, especially in rural regions.
Scale
- Potential for around 228 billion unique DIGIPINs across Indian territory.
Open-source origin
- Developed and open-sourced by the postal department to encourage adoption and interoperability.
Why this system matters ?
Current limitations in India’s addressing
- Non-standard, inconsistent, and often missing addresses.
- Delays and errors in delivery services.
- Inefficiencies in logistics, disaster response, last-mile governance.
DHRUVA’s intended benefits
- Standardisation of addresses across sectors.
- Streamlined onboarding for e-commerce and delivery firms.
- Reduced friction for users: no repeated address entry.
- Potential integration with digital public infrastructure frameworks.
Consent and privacy architecture
- Users control who sees their address, and for how long.
- AIAs mediate access between the label and actual geographical coordinates.
- Designed to prevent centralised misuse of location data.
Challenges and open questions
- Adoption by private firms is voluntary; success depends on network effects similar to UPI.
- Data security and risks of geolocation misuse need rigorous safeguards.
- Public trust must be built around the consent mechanism.
- Integration with state/local addressing databases may be complex.
