The government has recently launched two transformative digital platforms: ‘Know Your DIGIPIN’ and ‘Know Your PIN Code’, a step towards the modernisation of India’s addressing system and geospatial governance.

Under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, these platforms are launched in alignment with the National Geospatial Policy, 2022, which envisions the development of an advanced geospatial infrastructure to support digital governance and public service delivery.

The six-digit pin code system, introduced in 1972, has served as the backbone of India’s postal delivery. However, recognising the need to modernise and refine its geographic accuracy, the Department undertook a national geofencing exerciseacross all postal jurisdictions to geo-reference all the pin code boundaries of the country.

What is a DIGI PIN (Digital Postal Index Number)?

DIGIPIN is designed to significantly enhance the precision and efficiency of location identification, beyond the traditional 6-digit pin code system. Unlike a traditional pin code which identifies a broader area (like a neighbourhood or post office delivery zone), a DIGIPIN provides a unique, 10-character alphanumeric code for a very specific location.

India has been divided into approximately 4m x 4m grids, and each grid is assigned a unique DIGIPIN based on its exact latitude and longitude coordinates. It’s fundamentally a geospatial reference system which is geo-coded and grid-based. This means the DIGIPIN is directly tied to the precise geographic coordinates of a location on a map.

Who developed DIGIPIN?

The Department of Posts (India Post) developed the DIGIPIN in collaboration with IIT-Hyderabad and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is an open-source system, making its programming code publicly available. This promotes interoperability, allowing various Ministries, State governments, institutions, and private sector organisations to integrate it into their workflows and services.

How is it different from traditional postal address or pin code?

While a regular postal address depends on locality, street, and house numbers, DIGIPIN points to the exact coordinates of a location using a 10-character alphanumeric code with predefined symbols. India Post envisions DIGIPIN as a cornerstone for offering “Address-as-a-Service” (AaaS), which involves a range of services related to address data management to facilitate secure and efficient interactions between users, government entities, and private sector organisations.

How is a DIGIPIN generated? Is it available offline too?

Yes, DIGIPIN is designed to be used offline too. The Department of Posts have shared the programming code for DIGIPIN in public domain for fetching and decoding the DIGIPIN.

Will it replace the regular pin code system?

DIGIPIN is not be replacing the existing 6-digit pin code system. Instead, it will serve as an additional layer of digital precision complementing the current addressing infrastructure. Your traditional postal address will remain the same.

It will also eliminate confusion from similar-sounding addresses and provides accurate locations for deliveries and services. It would particularly benefit e-commerce, courier services, and last-mile delivery agents, especially in rural and remote areas or places with unstructured addresses. Not only private e-commerce giants like Amazon or Flipkart, but it would also benefit India Post delivery services in the far-flung areas.

For faster emergency response also, it would help emergency services like police, ambulance, fire by locating precise addresses quickly, potentially saving lives. It lays the foundation for integrating Geographic Information System (GIS) technology into various service deliveries.

Is personal address data saved in DIGIPIN? It is safe?

No, DIGIPIN does not store any private or personal data. It only provides an alphanumeric code based on geographic coordinates, ensuring privacy. It encodes only geographic coordinates and does not store any personal or private data.

Published on June 11, 2025