India Post’s DHRUVA Framework

1. What is DHRUVA?

• Full form: Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address.

• Proposed by the Department of Posts (May 2025).

• Modeled on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) like Aadhaar & UPI.

• Purpose: Standardisation & sharing of physical addresses through digital “labels,” similar to email IDs.

2. Enabling Law

• Government released a draft amendment to the Post Office Act, 2023 to operationalise DHRUVA.

3. Connection with DIGIPIN

• DIGIPIN is a 10-digit alphanumeric geo-coded pin generated from location coordinates.

• Each 12 sq. metre block in India gets a unique DIGIPIN.

• Helps overcome issues where descriptive addresses are not available.

4. How DHRUVA Works

DHRUVA creates an address ecosystem with the following components:

a. Address Service Providers (ASPs)

• Generate proxy addresses or labels (e.g., amit@dhruva).

b. Address Validation Agencies

• Authenticate addresses.

c. Address Information Agents

• Manage user consent for sharing addresses with third parties.

d. Governance Entity

• Similar to NPCI for UPI, will oversee the entire framework.

5. Key Use Cases

a. Consent-based Data Sharing

• Users can tokenise their addresses (like UPI tokenises bank accounts).

• Users control who can access their address, when, and for what purpose.

b. Logistics & E-commerce

• Platforms like Amazon, Uber, and India Post can use “labels” instead of manual addresses.

• Reduces errors and improves delivery accuracy.

c. Urban Mobility & Migration

• Users can update addresses digitally, supporting seamless shifting and deliveries when changing residence.

d. Service Discovery

• Intermediaries can show what services are available at a user’s location, improving public and private service delivery.

6. Benefits as Stated by India Post

• Effective governance

• Inclusive service delivery

• Enhanced user experience

• Simplifies address sharing for public/private platforms.

7. Concerns Highlighted

Urban Governance

• Experts say unclear if it will help governance, since:

  • DHRUVA relies on consent-based sharing.

  • If citizens refuse consent, datasets may become incomplete.

  • This may weaken planned urban infrastructure mapping.

Privacy Issues

• System involves collecting personal information → requires robust consent mechanisms.

• Currently does not include inferred information; this protects consent but limits data richness.