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The tradition of giving address in India has always been a bit complicated. Even after writing the house number, street, locality, city and finally the six digit pin code, there is no guarantee that the delivery person will easily reach the right place. The problem further increases in villages and unplanned urban settlements, where road names are not clear and house numbers are also not found in order. To solve this problem, the Indian Postal Department has developed a digital address system named Digipin, which is being called “your new address”. Through this, arrangements have been made to give a digital identity to every place in the country. This can help in delivering mail, government schemes, e-commerce, logistics and emergency services to the exact location.

what is digipin

The full form of DigiPIN is Digital Postal Index Number. A traditional PIN code identifies a larger postal area, while a DigiPIN gives a digital identity to a specific geographical location. It is an open-source, geo-coded addressing system developed by the Indian Postal Department in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre. Under this, any place in the country is given a unique 10 digit alphanumeric code based on its latitude and longitude. This means that the address will no longer be limited to just the locality, village or city, but will identify the exact location where the house, shop, office or any other place is located.

How does Digipin work?

The technical system of Digipin is based on satellite based mapping and geospatial technology. The entire Indian territory has been divided into a grid and different codes have been given to small areas. This makes possible separate digital identification of nearby places also.

One can get the code based on their location through Digipin portal or map based tool available online. Being an open-source system, apart from government departments, private companies, e-commerce platforms, courier agencies and logistics companies can also use it. In the future, there are plans to develop DigiPIN as a common framework for digital services, so that a common digital address can be used across different services.

comprehensive plan of postal department

The Department of Posts has made a phased plan to implement Digipin across the country. After the technical system is ready, a digital platform has been made available to the citizens, where they can know their DigiPIN. After this, work is being done to connect it with systems like postal services, courier network, banking, government schemes and logistics. Being open-source, private sector and startups can also include it in their digital platforms.

Its use in emergency services can also be important. Providing accurate location information to services like ambulance, police and fire can reduce the time it takes to provide help in times of crisis.

How different from pincode

Pincode is a six-digit number that identifies a major postal area. There can be many localities, villages, streets and thousands of houses under one pin code. Therefore a postcode does not identify a person's exact home. In contrast, Digipin is based on geographical coordinates. It can recognize a location at a more granular level. Even the reorganization of administrative boundaries or post offices does not affect its geographical basis. The PIN code system in India was introduced in 1972 and has been the backbone of the country's postal system for more than five decades. Digipin is being developed to integrate with this system as a digital address system rather than to replace it outright.

Awareness campaign will run for two years

The Postal Department is planning to run a two-year special campaign to make people aware about the use of Digipin. Under this, people will be given information about preparing their DigiPIN and using permanent and temporary addresses. In case of change of address, there will be facility to make necessary changes in it.

The objective of this campaign is not to limit Digipin only to the government system, but to make it a part of the everyday life of the common citizen.

The postman will also reach the exact place

The use of Digipin can prove to be very useful in mail delivery. The postman will have to enter the DigiPIN given on the envelope into the mobile app. After this the map will be able to show the exact location of that place. This can reduce delays and misdelivery problems caused by unclear or incomplete addresses.

By using it along with GIS i.e. Geographic Information System, the postal department can also develop better route planning and logistics system. This has the potential to save both time and operating costs.

future digital address system

DigiPin is an important initiative towards bringing India's traditional address system into line with the digital age. While pincodes made it easier to identify large areas, DigiPin attempts to make location identification more precise. However, it will take time to completely adopt it across the country. This will require expansion of technical infrastructure along with awareness among citizens and better coordination between government and private systems, but if it is widely adopted, then the method of providing address can be quite simple in the future. Then a place will be identified not only by house number, street, locality and pin code, but by a digital code which will contain within itself the geographical identity of that place. This makes Digipin an important step in India's changing digital ecosystem.

How useful for common people

-The biggest benefit of DigiPin can be for those people whose addresses are not easily found in the traditional system. This can be especially useful for new colonies, unplanned settlements, remote villages, hilly areas and houses built in fields.

-Online shopping and food delivery services can also make delivery easier with Digipin. There will be less need for the delivery person to inquire about long addresses or nearby places.

-Its importance increases further in emergency situations. In the event of an accident or illness, if the person shares his DigiPin, it may be easier for an ambulance or rescue team to reach his location.

-Even in government schemes and services like banking, accurate digital address can help in making service delivery more transparent and effective.

–Gaurishankar Vaishya Humble, Lucknow