DHRUVA – Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address

The Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications has proposed DHRUVA – Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address – as a key component of India’s national digital public infrastructure. The initiative aims to create an interoperable, standardised and user-centric digital addressing ecosystem that can support seamless public and private service delivery.

Objective: Address as a Service (AaaS)

DHRUVA is designed to enable “Address as a Service” (AaaS) by converting traditional physical addresses into secure, validated digital address identifiers. This framework seeks to simplify service delivery, improve accuracy in address usage and support efficient governance. It is intended to serve citizens, businesses and government entities across sectors such as logistics, e-commerce, finance and welfare schemes.

Legislative Backing through Amendments to Post Office Act, 2023

To operationalise the framework, the Department of Posts has prepared draft amendments to the Post Office Act, 2023. These amendments aim to provide statutory support for the creation, management and use of digital addresses, define rights and obligations of ecosystem participants, and ensure safeguards related to consent, security and grievance redress.

Core Features of the DHRUVA Ecosystem

The proposed amendments outline several key elements. These include Digital Address Identifiers (DAI) linked to address information and postcodes, mechanisms for generation and use of such identifiers, and processes for validation of address data. The framework also proposes registration of Address Service Providers and authorisation of Address Validation Agencies, supported by a national Network Administrator to oversee interoperability and standards.

Exam Oriented Facts

• DHRUVA stands for Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address.
• The framework supports “Address as a Service” (AaaS) in India.
• Legal backing is proposed through amendments to the Post Office Act, 2023.
• Public comments on the draft may be sent by email till 31 December 2025.

Governance, Safeguards and Public Consultation

The proposal emphasises consent-based generation, exchange, validation, access and use of address information. It also envisages a governance architecture aligned with India’s broader digital public infrastructure vision, including grievance redress, adjudication and penalties for violations. An explanatory note has been issued to aid public understanding, and comments from citizens, industry and other stakeholders have been invited via email, with the draft Bill and supporting documents made available on the Department of Posts portal.