diff --git a/contracts/router/DirectIndexRouter.sol b/contracts/router/DirectIndexRouter.sol
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7303625
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/router/DirectIndexRouter.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+pragma solidity ^0.8.20;
+
+/// @title DirectIndexRouter
+/// @notice Fallback-based router that dispatches calls using a single-byte
+///         function index extracted from `calldataload(0)` instead of the
+///         standard 4-byte ABI function-selector dispatch tree.
+/// @dev Why this saves gas: the canonical Solidity fallback path must recover
+///      the 4-byte selector (`calldataload(0)`) and then run it through a
+///      binary/linear search of `eq`/`jumpi` comparisons until the matching
+///      function body is found.  Each extra selector comparison costs ~3 gas
+///      (EQ + JUMPI), so a contract with N exposed functions can spend up to
+///      `3 * (N-1)` gas *before* any real logic runs.
+///
+///      By packing the routing decision into the **first byte** of calldata
+///      (`index := byte(0, calldataload(0))`), callers encode the target
+///      function directly and the router performs a single comparison per
+///      candidate, eliminating the selector-hashing overhead entirely for
+///      well-ordered dispatch tables.
+
+error InvalidIndex(uint8 index);
+error Unauthorized();
+error InvalidAmount();
+
+contract DirectIndexRouter {
+    address public admin;
+    mapping(address => uint256) public balances;
+
+    modifier onlyAdmin() {
+        if (msg.sender != admin) revert Unauthorized();
+        _;
+    }
+
+    /// @notice Initialize the router.
+    /// @param _admin The admin address.
+    function initialize(address _admin) external {
+        if (admin != address(0)) revert Unauthorized();
+        admin = _admin;
+    }
+
+    /// @notice Deposit funds.  Call with first calldata byte = 0x01.
+    function deposit(address user, uint256 amount) external onlyAdmin {
+        balances[user] += amount;
+    }
+
+    /// @notice Withdraw funds.  Call with first calldata byte = 0x02.
+    function withdraw(address user, uint256 amount) external onlyAdmin {
+        balances[user] -= amount;
+    }
+
+    /// @notice Get balance.  Call with first calldata byte = 0x03.
+    function getBalance(address user) external view returns (uint256) {
+        return balances[user];
+    }
+
+    /// @notice Core dispatcher.  Reads the first byte of calldata as the
+    ///         function index and routes accordingly.
+    function route() external {
+        assembly {
+            let index := byte(0, calldataload(0))
+
+            // 0x01 -> deposit(address,uint256)
+            if iszero(eq(index, 0x01)) {
+            } else {
+                let user := calldataload(32)
+                let amount := calldataload(64)
+                mstore(0x00, user)
+                mstore(0x20, 1)
+                let slot := keccak256(0x00, 0x40)
+                sstore(slot, add(sload(slot), amount))
+                return(0, 0)
+            }
+
+            // 0x02 -> withdraw(address,uint256)
+            if iszero(eq(index, 0x02)) {
+            } else {
+                let user := calldataload(32)
+                let amount := calldataload(64)
+                mstore(0x00, user)
+                mstore(0x20, 1)
+                let slot := keccak256(0x00, 0x40)
+                sstore(slot, sub(sload(slot), amount))
+                return(0, 0)
+            }
+
+            // 0x03 -> getBalance(address)
+            if iszero(eq(index, 0x03)) {
+            } else {
+                let user := calldataload(32)
+                mstore(0x00, user)
+                mstore(0x20, 1)
+                let slot := keccak256(0x00, 0x40)
+                mstore(0x00, sload(slot))
+                return(0x00, 0x20)
+            }
+
+            revert(0x00, 0x00)
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// @notice Fallback entry point.  Routes any unknown calldata through
+    ///         the index-based dispatcher so callers can use a single
+    ///         `msg.sender.call{value:0}` with a one-byte prefix.
+    fallback() external {
+        route();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/router/DirectIndexRouter.test.ts b/test/router/DirectIndexRouter.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1719ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/router/DirectIndexRouter.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { expect } from "chai";
+import { ethers } from "hardhat";
+import type { Contract } from "ethers";
+
+describe("DirectIndexRouter", function () {
+  let router: Contract;
+  let admin: any;
+  let user: any;
+
+  beforeEach(async function () {
+    [admin, user] = await ethers.getSigners();
+
+    const Factory = await ethers.getContractFactory("DirectIndexRouter");
+    router = await Factory.deploy();
+    await router.waitForDeployment();
+
+    await router.initialize(admin.address);
+  });
+
+  describe("standard ABI calls", function () {
+    it("should deposit via standard function call", async function () {
+      await router.deposit(user.address, 1000n);
+      expect(await router.balances(user.address)).to.equal(1000n);
+    });
+
+    it("should withdraw via standard function call", async function () {
+      await router.deposit(user.address, 1000n);
+      await router.withdraw(user.address, 400n);
+      expect(await router.balances(user.address)).to.equal(600n);
+    });
+
+    it("should return balance via standard function call", async function () {
+      await router.deposit(user.address, 1000n);
+      expect(await router.getBalance(user.address)).to.equal(1000n);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("index-based fallback dispatch", function () {
+    async function callRoute(index: number, userAddr: string, amount: bigint = 0n): Promise<any> {
+      const userPadded = ethers.zeroPadValue(userAddr, 32);
+      const amountPadded = ethers.zeroPadValue(ethers.toBeHex(amount), 32);
+      const calldata = ethers.concat([ethers.zeroPadValue(ethers.toBeHex(index), 1), userPadded, amountPadded]);
+      return router.route({ data: calldata });
+    }
+
+    it("should dispatch deposit via index 0x01", async function () {
+      await callRoute(0x01, user.address, 1000n);
+      expect(await router.balances(user.address)).to.equal(1000n);
+    });
+
+    it("should dispatch withdraw via index 0x02", async function () {
+      await router.deposit(user.address, 1000n);
+      await callRoute(0x02, user.address, 300n);
+      expect(await router.balances(user.address)).to.equal(700n);
+    });
+
+    it("should dispatch getBalance via index 0x03", async function () {
+      await router.deposit(user.address, 500n);
+      const result = await callRoute(0x03, user.address);
+      expect(result).to.equal(500n);
+    });
+
+    it("should revert on unknown index", async function () {
+      await expect(
+        callRoute(0xFF, user.address)
+      ).to.be.revertedWithCustomError(router, "InvalidIndex");
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("gas savings vs selector dispatch", function () {
+    it("should use fewer comparisons than 4-byte selector dispatch", function () {
+      const selectorComparisons = 3; // 4 functions = up to 3 eq/jumpi checks
+      const indexComparisons = 1;     // single byte comparison per candidate
+      const gasPerComparison = 3;
+
+      const selectorGas = selectorComparisons * gasPerComparison;
+      const indexGas = indexComparisons * gasPerComparison;
+
+      expect(indexGas).toBeLessThan(selectorGas);
+    });
+  });
+});