What Is a PIN Code? How India's 6-Digit Postal Code Works

Quick answer A PIN code (Postal Index Number) is India's six-digit postal code. The first digit is the postal zone, the second narrows it to a sub-region, the third is the sorting district, and the last three identify the delivery post office. It was introduced on 15 August 1972.

What each digit means

Take 110001 (New Delhi) as an example:

Digits	In 110001	What it tells the post office
1st digit	1	Postal zone (here: the northern zone)
1st + 2nd	11	Sub-region — usually a state or a postal circle (here: Delhi)
1st–3rd	110	Sorting district — where the mail is sorted
Last 3	001	The delivery post office that serves the address

Read from left to right, each digit narrows the destination — from a large part of the country down to a single delivery office.

The nine PIN code zones

First digit	Zone covers
1	Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh (and Ladakh)
2	Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
3	Rajasthan, Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
4	Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
5	Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka
6	Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep
7	West Bengal, Odisha, the North-East states, Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
8	Bihar, Jharkhand
9	Army Postal Service (Field and Army Post Offices)

Why PIN codes were introduced

Before 1972, mail was sorted by reading place names — and India has many towns and villages with the same or similar names, written in different scripts and spellings. Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, then an additional secretary in the Ministry of Communications, introduced the PIN system so that sorters could route mail by number instead.

How to find the correct PIN for an address

1. Check a recent document delivered to that address — a utility bill, bank letter or government letter usually shows the PIN.
2. Use India Post's official tools. In 2025 India Post launched a Know Your PIN Code service alongside Know Your DIGIPIN.
3. Ask the local post office if the area is new or recently reorganised.
4. Be careful with search results that show a PIN for a neighbourhood name — large areas can be split across several PINs.

Why the right PIN matters for courier deliveries

Private couriers use PIN codes too. When a seller books a shipment, the courier's system uses the PIN to:

• check whether it can deliver to that area at all ("serviceability"),
• decide which hub and delivery centre the parcel goes to, and
• estimate the delivery date.

A wrong PIN can send a parcel to the wrong delivery centre. The courier may then re-route it (adding days), mark it undelivered, or eventually return it to the seller. If you notice a wrong PIN after ordering, contact the seller immediately — and keep an eye on the parcel with the tracker.

Good to know Shopping apps often say "not deliverable to this PIN code". That usually means the seller's courier partners don't serve the area — not that the address is invalid. Another seller using a different courier may be able to deliver.

PIN code vs DIGIPIN

	PIN code	DIGIPIN
Introduced	15 August 1972	27 May 2025
Length	6 digits	10 characters
Covers	A delivery post office's whole area	A square of about 4 m × 4 m
Based on	Postal sorting and delivery offices	Latitude and longitude
Use	Every address in India	Optional precise location, useful where addresses are vague

DIGIPIN doesn't replace your PIN code. Think of the PIN as the area and the DIGIPIN as the exact door.

Common mistakes

• Using the PIN of a neighbouring area — it may route your parcel to a different delivery office.
• Old PINs after reorganisation — when a new post office opens, some localities get a new PIN.
• Mixing up the PIN with an STD code or house number in address forms.
• Missing or extra digits — a PIN always has exactly six digits and never starts with 0.

Frequently asked questions

Is a PIN code the same as a ZIP code?

They do the same job. "ZIP code" is the term used in the United States; "postal code" or "postcode" is common elsewhere. In India, the official term is PIN code.

Can two places have the same PIN code?

Yes. One PIN code covers the whole area of a delivery post office, which often includes several localities or villages.

What does a PIN code starting with 9 mean?

Zone 9 is reserved for the Army Postal Service, which handles mail for the armed forces.

Does a wrong PIN code mean my parcel is lost?

Not usually. It typically causes a delay or a re-route. Contact the seller with the correct PIN and follow the parcel's tracking — see the courier list for each courier's official tracker.