All About DIGIPIN, India's Unique Geo-Coded Addressing System For Location Accuracy

Conversations about PIN codes are again in trend after Vivek Daksh, Deputy DG, Department of Posts, said on Thursday (October 9) that the department is introducing a new addressing system in India, called DIGIPIN, or Digital Postal Index Number.

DIGIPIN, designed to provide a unique, geo-coded 10-character alphanumeric identifier for every 4m x 4m grid area across India, is aimed at bringing revolution in India.

"The old PIN code system was introduced by the postal department in 1972 to help in sorting and delivery of parcels. Now that we want precision and other tools to reach the destination, we need a standardised addressing system," Daksh said while speaking to news agency ANI.

"We have converted each location into a 10-digit alphanumeric code, naming it the DIGIPIN."

He said that the usage of the new system, jointly developed by IIT Hyderabad and NRSC (ISRO), will enhance the precision of the address location. The department is taking help from IIM, IISC Bangalore, to study this entire digital PIN code ecosystem.

Significance Of DIGIPIN

DIGIPIN will be effective even where traditional addresses are ambiguous, and its implementation will improve last-mile delivery for e-commerce, government services and emergency responses.

The new system would also help in quick location identification in crises. This is also aligned with the National Geospatial Policy 2022, boosting digital service delivery.

DIGIPIN will also support standardised address data management.

Key Features Of DIGIPIN

Accuracy: DIGIPIN pinpoints exact locations using latitude and longitude coordinates. The traditional six-digit PIN codes cover broader areas only.

Alphanumeric Code: The DIGIPIN is a 10-character Alphanumeric Code, and the random order encoding ensures uniqueness for each location.

GIS-Compatible: It leverages Geographic Information System (GIS) capabilities for precise mapping.

How To Find Your DIGIPIN?

As per India Post, DIGIPIN is derived from the latitude and longitude of a location, encoded into a 10-character alphanumeric format using predefined symbols.

To find your DIGIPIN, the user needs a device with a GNSS facility to find their exact location (latitude and longitude), which can then be converted into a DIGIPIN code.

Department of Posts has created a beta web application which can be accessed at digipin.cept.gov.in.

Follow these steps:

1) Visit India Post's Know Your DIGIPIN portal (https://dac.indiapost.gov.in/mydigipin/home)

2) Allow location access or enter latitude/longitude coordinates.

3) Generate and use your unique DIGIPIN.

Department of Post also mentioned that DIGIPIN is safe and does not compromise privacy, as no personal data is associated with it. The code only represents a location, and no individual's information is stored.

MoU with ESRI

Last month, the Postal Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ESRI India Technologies Private Limited (ESRI India), which is a GIS software and solutions provider.

Under this MoU, the department will be able to use Esri India's high-resolution imagery and street basemaps for its DIGIPIN portal. The collaboration will also enable the integration of DIGIPIN with Esri India's Living Atlas portal, thereby making it accessible to the larger GIS community. ESRI India will also provide technical support to the DoP for seamless integration of their services for DIGIPIN.