Architecture of DigiPIN

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DIGIPIN encodes latitude and longitude into a unique 10-character alphanumeric code using a fixed set of 16 symbols:

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, C, F, J, K, L, M, P, T.

The encoding follows a hierarchical grid structure:

  • The entire country is enclosed within a bounding box, which is first divided into 16 (4x4) regions—each assigned one of the 16 symbols. This defines the first character (Level 1) of the DIGIPIN.

  • Each region is then subdivided into 16 subregions (Level 2), labeled again using the same 16 symbols. This continues recursively for 10 levels.

  • As a result, each 10-character DIGIPIN uniquely identifies a 4m x 4m grid cell within India from a total of 16¹⁰ possible cells.

This method ensures precise and scalable location referencing across the country.

Bounding box 


Figure 1: DIGIPIN Level-1 grid lines (in yellow) overlaid on India, illustrating the DIGIPIN bounding box.
Bounding Box Coordinates:

  • Longitude: 63.5°E to 99.5°E

  • Latitude: 2.5°N to 38.5°N

The DIGIPIN system uses the EPSG:4326 Coordinate Reference System (WGS84, epoch 2005), chosen for its global coverage, simplicity, and widespread adoption.

Rationale for Bounding Box Design:

  • Encompasses the entire territory of India.

  • Covers a 36° span both in latitude and longitude, resulting in a final grid cell size of approximately 3.8m x 3.8m after 10 iterations.

  • Aligns DIGIPIN’s Level-1 grid with the Survey of India’s 0.25° x 0.25° topographical sheets, used at a 1:50,000 scale.

  • Includes India’s maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), enabling address referencing for offshore assets (e.g., oil rigs, artificial islands).

  • Ensures that Level-1 grid lines do not bisect highly populated urban areas, maintaining spatial integrity.

  • Level-10 grid cells are nearly rectangular, with size slightly varying by latitude, remaining within the accuracy limits of modern GNSS technology.


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