OPINION | Navigating the challenges of India’s DIGIPIN implementation

There is a lack of digital literacy in India, which may not just pose hurdles in adoption but enhance vulnerabilities among users towards cybersecurity risks.

India's DIGIPIN initiative represents a remarkable step toward precision addressing in the digital age. However, the path to the successful adoption of DIGIPIN across the country presents several considerations that demand careful attention. From the absence of clear implementation timelines and data privacy concerns to multi-layered management structures, there are quite a few possible obstacles to be resolved at the foundational level itself to ensure the initiative achieves its expected objectives.

DIGIPIN, part of the DHRUVA policy framework aligned with the Digital India Mission, is a 10-digit alphanumeric coding system created by spatially dividing the entire Indian territory into precise 4m × 4m grids, aimed at addressing longstanding issues of vague and redundant addressing systems. While acknowledging its potential, there are a number of missing gaps to be looked into. One of the primary concerns lies in the policy document's lack of a roadmap for establishing appropriate governance bodies, standard-setting mechanisms, and operational structures that could create uncertainty during the rollout phase. These are important, as citizens will require clear channels to understand its application, address concerns, and resolve issues that may arise during the transition period.

DIGIPIN’s data handling measures are based on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. However, implementing the latter continues to face delays and criticism regarding its provisions. These regulatory uncertainties could impact the DIGIPIN initiative and create compounded issues regarding compliance. Moreover, there is a lack of digital literacy in India, which may not just pose hurdles in adoption but enhance vulnerabilities among users towards cybersecurity risks, as they may unknowingly allow excessive permissions or fall victim to fraudulent schemes. This necessitates putting the required laws in place, comprehensive awareness campaigns, and educational initiatives in the initial stages themselves.

The next interesting factor to look at is the proposed multi-level governance structure. While being comprehensive, it surely raises questions about operational efficiency and clarity of responsibility. The framework talks about multiple entities including Address Information Providers, Address Information Aggregators, Address Information Users, Address Accuracy Verification Agencies, and a Central Mapper. There are chances of overlapping responsibilities between these, which could potentially create operational bottlenecks and slow down simple address lookups. Without clear accountability put in place, the potential for security vulnerabilities is increased, and data breach response protocols become more complicated. The cost of maintaining separate infrastructure, compliance, and auditing systems for each entity can further swell the revenue expenditure, hence demanding careful consideration to ensure long-term sustainability.

Coming to the technical considerations, there might be additional complexity layers that require attention. The DIGIPIN system's current dependence on 2D grids does not allow independent addresses for different floors in multi-story buildings, hence it may create confusion in current and upcoming urban areas. There are a multitude of ground-level implementation challenges that can emerge in complex scenarios where precise location information is critical. Multi-tenant buildings, mixed land-use areas, upcoming developments in automated delivery systems, and intricate urban layouts require clear standardisation protocols to avoid code duplication and delivery confusion.

While the current approach mentions field validation for specific use cases, a more systematic ground-truthing mechanism across diverse and dynamic environments would improve system reliability and strengthen user confidence. It's also particularly important in rural areas, where geographic variations and limited digital infrastructure may present unique challenges. While the objective of this initiative is to ease the address management system, it is important to ensure that DIGIPIN infrastructure has adaptability to variations in primary geospatial databases, including a new indigenous coordinate reference system for mapping envisioned by India under the National Geospatial Policy. Even if the framework talks about open data formats, detailed specifications regarding data download limits, data updates, and format standards need more clarification for adoption and integration considerations with existing Geographic Information Systems and applications used by stakeholders.

The alphanumeric coding system may face adoption challenges if linguistic diversity is not adequately addressed within the portal interface. Hence, public awareness and adoption might be the most significant implementation challenge. Many digital initiatives in India, like e-NAM, have already seen slower-than-expected adoption due to limited awareness and understanding among target users. DIGIPIN will have to be made a habit, as PINCODE currently is. Its inclusion in the NCERT curricula is a welcome step, but further steps like government-led grassroots-level awareness and community outreach programmes are essential for building familiarity and confidence in the system.

This technological initiative has great potential for improving service delivery, enhancing emergency response capabilities, and facilitating better and more efficient e-commerce operations. The system's design as a complementary rather than a full replacement of the addressing system shows thoughtful planning that allows the functioning of existing infrastructure while introducing improvements. DIGIPIN represents a visionary approach to addressing India's location identification challenges and enhancing various aspects of daily life. However, ensuring its successful implementation requires further attention to the aforementioned foundational considerations. Rather than rushing to deployment, taking time to establish robust governance structures, comprehensive awareness programmes, and clear operational protocols will ultimately determine whether this innovative system achieves its transformative potential. It is indeed a commendable initiative, but there is surely a need to verify that the foundation of this system is well-constructed and won't create additional questions that might delay the success of such an important innovation.

(Swathi Kalyani, Geospatial Research Analyst, Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.)

Views are personal, and do not represent the stance of this publication.