What is Postal Index Number?
Have you ever thought, why Postal Index Number (PINCODE) is an important part of any address in India. If you don’t then here is the answer.
India is a very large country and it is not possible to recognize places by names. It is because some places have similar name with different region. Hence, the system was introduced to simplify the delivery of mail by eliminating confusion over incorrect addresses, similar place names and different languages used by the public.
The PIN was introduced on August 15, 1972. It is used on Postal address to aid postal delivery. The first of the six digits indicates a region.
First Digit |
Region | States Covered |
1 |
Northern |
Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir |
2 |
Northern | Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal |
3 |
Western |
Rajasthan and Gujarat |
4 |
Western |
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh |
5 | Southern |
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka |
6 |
Southern |
Kerala and Tamil Nadu |
7 |
Eastern |
West Bengal, Orissa and North Eastern |
8 |
Eastern |
Bihar and Jharkhand |
9 | APS |
Army Postal Service |
There are 9 PIN regions in the country. The first 8 are geographical regions and the digit 9 is reserved for the Army Postal Service. The first two digits together indicate a sub-region.
The first 2 digits of PIN indicate as below:
First 2 Digits of PIN |
Sub-Region |
11 |
Delhi |
12 and 13 |
Haryana |
14 to 16 |
Punjab |
17 |
Himachal Pradesh |
18 to 19 |
Jammu & Kashmir |
20 to 28 |
Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal |
30 to 34 |
Rajasthan |
36 to 39 |
Gujarat |
40 to 44 |
Maharashtra |
45 to 49 |
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh |
50 to 53 |
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana |
56 to 59 |
Karnataka |
60 to 64 |
Tamil Nadu |
67 to 69 |
Kerala |
70 to 74 |
West Bengal |
75 to 77 |
Orissa |
78 |
Assam |
79 |
North Eastern |
80 to 85 |
Bihar and Jharkhand |
90 to 99 |
Army Postal Service (APS) |
The first three digit indicate the revenue district and the last three digits indicate the destination post office.