DHRUVA (Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address):
The Department of Posts has introduced a far-reaching digital policy titled DHRUVA—Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address.
- Developed by the Department of Posts, DHRUVA sets the foundation for a nationwide Digital Address Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
- DHRUVA outlines a framework for creating a standardized, geo-coded and interoperable digital address system.
- It is designed to simplify address-related services and ensure secure, consent-based sharing of address information across public and private sectors.
- At the core of DHRUVA is the concept of Address-as-a-Service (AaaS)—a model that supports efficient, secure and user-controlled management of address data.
- The system aims to serve as a backbone for service delivery, governance and commercial interactions.
- Under this system, citizens, government bodies and businesses can engage in secure, consent-driven and real-time sharing of verified address information.
- The AaaS framework ensures:
- Interoperability across different address systems used by various sectors
- Standardization of address formats and geolocation tagging
- Consent-based sharing to empower user control and privacy
- Public-private integration for seamless adoption and innovation
- By recognizing digital addresses as core infrastructure, akin to Aadhaar and Unified Payments Interface (UPI),
- DHRUVA sets out to streamline everything from e-governance and online commerce to urban planning and emergency services.
- The policy also places emphasis on user-centric design, ensuring that citizens have meaningful control over how their address data is used and shared.
- Citizens will retain full control over their digital address identity, with options to manage access, update details, and share their verified address securely for various use cases.
- The DHRUVA platform will also feature multilingual support, mobile-first access, and integration with identity systems like Aadhaar, thereby improving usability and accessibility for all demographics.
- The DHRUVA policy builds upon the earlier launch of the Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN)—the National Addressing Grid introduced by the Department of Posts.
- DIGIPIN is an open-source nationwide geo-coded addressing system developed by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and NRSC, ISRO.
- It divides India into approximately 4m x 4m grids and assigns each grid a unique 10-character alphanumeric code based on latitude and longitude coordinates.
- The DIGIPIN system is publicly accessible and supports improvements in emergency response, logistics efficiency and citizen service delivery.
