• The Department of Posts is advancing a transformative initiative to establish a standardised, geo-coded addressing system in India, aimed at simplifying address solutions for citizen-centric delivery of public and private services.

• In this regard, the launch of Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN) marked a significant milestone in this journey.

• Building on this foundational work, the department has now released a comprehensive policy document titled ‘Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address’ (DHRUVA).

• This policy lays out the framework for a national digital address digital public infrastructure (DPI).

Significance of DHRUVA

• Addresses are a critical component of communication. Over time, they have evolved to take different formats, from informal references such as landmarks, to developing street names and door numbers. 

• Beyond its immediate utility in enabling communication between two or more parties, addresses now serve a wider role in the day-to-day functioning of society. 

• In many countries, including India, the workflow of delivering services and benefits to people has increasingly shifted to doorstep delivery, enhancing accessibility and overcoming barriers to equitable access and economic and social inclusion.

• Despite the centrality of address information in everyday life, frictions exist in how such data is managed, shared and used across India. These challenges stem from multiple factors, including the country’s vast cultural and linguistic diversity, the use of inconsistent address formats, and the fragmentation of address data across siloed systems. 

• To overcome these barriers, India requires a unified, interoperable approach to address management, one that enables flexible representation of addresses, places user interest at its core, supports innovation, and facilitates wide usability. 

• There is a clear and urgent need to treat address information management as a core layer of public infrastructure, one that is designed, governed, and maintained at par with other foundational systems

such as digital identity or payments.

• This requires rethinking not just the technical representation of an address, but the institutional and governance frameworks that support it. 

• Recognising address information management as a key component of public infrastructure, the government of India proposes to develop a digital public infrastructure (DPI) that supports the traditional addressing system by enabling users to depict and share their addresses in a standardised and geo-coded format. 

• It calls for an approach that transcends outdated addressing conventions, towards a user-centric digital architecture with institutional and governance features that prioritises user privacy and supports innovation across sectors.

• It enhances address precision, reduces errors in communication, and simplifies service delivery.

Key points on DHRUVA:

• The DHRUVA envisions a standardised, interoperable, and geo-coded digital addressing system that supports secure, consent-based, and seamless sharing of address information.

• At its core is the concept of Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) — the array of services associated with address data management to support secure and efficient interactions between users, government entities, and private sector organisations.

• The initiative aims to recognise 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.

• DHRUVA aims 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 catalyse innovation across key sectors, such as governance, e-commerce, logistics, and financial inclusion, through broad-based adoption by ministries, state governments, and other stakeholders.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)