What is 'DHRUVA?' India Post's UPI-like digital address system

The Department of Posts has released the draft amendment to the Post Office Act, 2023, unveiling the DHRUVA framework that will allow for shorter UPI-like address labels.

Our addresses might now follow the path of monetary transactions. Just as the launch and popularisation, and subsequent democratization of the UPI payments system did away with the requirement to remember bank account numbers and IFSC codes for money transfers, the same might happen to your addresses-courtesy India Post's new initiative 'DHRUVA.'

What is DHRUVA?

The DHRUVA framework, for Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address, has been in discussion for a couple of months now, The Hindu reports. One of its important facets, DIGIPIN, was launched this March.

Through DHRUVA, India Post seeks to replace lengthy forms of physical addresses with somewhat shorter forms, an electronic mail or UPI address, for example. Long address forms will be compressed into 'name@entity' like forms.

The government hopes to get participation from e-commerce platforms where consumers have to put in long addresses, almost every time they make a purchase, for the delivery of the product. Instead of the addresses, the DHRUVA label will give the service providers the exact location of consumers through geographic coordinates, The Hindu reported.

What is DIGIPIN?

DIGIPIN, a forerunner of the DHRUVA framework, was implemented by India Post in March 2025, representing a ten-character latitude and longitude coordinate of a person. DIGIPIN pinpoints exact locations and does not require the usage of full-length addresses.

Will your data be safe with DHRUVA?

The Department of Posts has made available a draft amendment to the Post Office Act, 2023, to introduce DHRUVA. The whole operation shall work on consent from the consumer given for allowing private firms the use of their DHRUVA labels. Re-authorisation is to be made from time to time. The government is not proposing to make the usage and integration of DHRUVA compulsory for private players, but feels the clutter-free character of the platform will be attractive enough for them to participate in the programme, reported The Hindu.