
India is stepping into a new era of digital addressing with the introduction of DIGIPIN — a revolutionary system designed to pinpoint locations with laser-sharp accuracy. Launched on May 27, 2025, by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), DIGIPIN promises to transform everything from parcel deliveries to emergency responses by accurately identifying locations at the level of a 4 × 4 meter grid.
1. What Exactly Is DIGIPIN?
DIGIPIN, short for Digital Postal Index Number, assigns a unique 10-character alphanumeric code to every 4×4m square across India. Driven by geospatial data, each grid cell corresponds to precise latitude and longitude coordinates. Unlike the traditional 6-digit PIN codes, which cover entire neighborhoods, DIGIPIN delivers property-level precision — vital for urban planners, emergency services, logistics, and citizens alike.
Reflecting India’s commitment to open governance, DIGIPIN is open-source, interoperable, and aligned with the National Geospatial Policy 2022. It’s engineered to support an Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) model — enabling various entities to plug into this robust addressing network seamlessly.
2. How DIGIPIN Works: The Mechanics
- Grid-Based Mapping
The country is divided into millions of tiny 4×4m grids. Each grid cell is geocoded with latitude-longitude precision. - Encoding into a 10-Character Code
These coordinates are converted into a compact, alphanumeric string — your DIGIPIN. - Easy Accessibility
Visit the ‘Know Your DIGIPIN’ portal (dac.indiapost.gov.in/mydigipin/home), allow your browser to retrieve your location (GNSS-enabled device needed), and instantly receive your DIGIPIN. - Offline Utility
Since DIGIPIN is a deterministic function of coordinates, it works offline too — no personal data is stored or transmitted (indiapost.gov.in).
3. Why We Need DIGIPIN: The Real-World Edge
i. Hyper-Local Precision
The traditional PIN covers a broad area. A single code can span multiple streets, creating room for delivery errors. DIGIPIN’s … Read More