In India, the postal codes are known as PIN codes (Postal Index Number). The PIN code system was introduced in India in 1972 to speed up the delivery of mail.
 |
| Indian Postal Zones or Pincodes |
India has 9 postal zones, which are based on geographical regions. The 9 zones are:
|
1st digit of the PINCODE |
Zone |
|
1 |
Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu
and Kashmir, Ladakh, Chandigarh |
|
2 |
Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
|
3 |
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Daman and Diu, Dadra and
Nagar Haveli |
|
4 |
Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh |
|
5 |
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
|
6 |
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep |
|
7 |
West Bengal, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,
Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam,
Sikkim |
|
8 |
Bihar, Jharkhand |
|
9 |
Army Postal Service (APS), Field Post Office
(FPO) |
Each of these regions is further divided into smaller postal circles, the postal circles are further divided into postal divisions, which are responsible for the delivery of mail in specific areas within the region.
In India, the postal system is organized into nine postal circles, each of which is divided into regions, divisions, and then further divided into sub-divisions and head post offices. There are a total of approximately 89,000 post offices in India, handling both mail and parcels. Each post office serves a specific geographic area, and the mail is sorted and delivered to the correct destination based on the postal code or ZIP code assigned to that area.