India Post is a government-owned and operated mailing and postal service which was established in India more than 165 years ago. It was established under the British Raj for the purpose of delivering mail within the British-ruled territories of the Indian subcontinent. India Post was established after the rule of East India Company was overtaken by the British Crown to facilitate communication within the periphery of the empire in India. India Post currently has more than 400,000 employees and is headquartered in Delhi. The service falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communications.
India Post is provided an annual budget by the central government to conduct nationwide operations. To offer its services in India, it operates over 150,000 head, sub and branch post offices and more than 400,000 letterboxes across the country. Though it is the largest postal service in India, it reported a record loss of INR 18,255 in FY20 against revenue of INR 12,211 crore in the same period. The service had been witnessing such losses throughout the previous decade which are a result of mounting costs, pensions, & declining relevance in the modern era.
However, it has diversified its operations into the eCommerce logistics space and has been witnessing stable growth in the domain. India Post offers a host of delivery services as well as banking and insurance services in India. Its flagship offering is Speed Post which is a domestic and international express delivery service. It offers its vast network of storage and distribution facilities to help businesses manage their value chain to store, transmit and distribute their items around the country.
Its multi-modal transportation infrastructure uses the railways, roadways and air to deliver products to the customer. India Post also offers tailored fulfillment solutions for eCommerce companies such as pick and pack services and reverse logistics. Through its air cargo service, it also facilitates cross-border eCommerce for online sellers in India. India Post has one of the largest delivery networks in the country. It has 23 postal circles in India that serve every state and union territory and even provides customer access to remote areas in the country.
India Post’s wide coverage and robust infrastructure make it a reliable choice for online sellers to get their products delivered to their customers. Although the state-owned service has been facing hiccups in years, it has been working on modernizing its infrastructure to provide a seamless delivery, shipping and logistics experience. Owing to increasing competition in the logistics market, India Post is exploring new industries to generate revenue. Since the company is owned and operated by the government, any losses incurred do not necessarily translate into hindrances in its operations, making it a reliable long-term partner.
Along with diversification, the government's approach to modernizing its services has improved India Post’s digital capabilities. Such capabilities allow it to integrate with several businesses to extend its features and form partnerships. The rising popularity of eCommerce in the country has also contributed to India Post gaining new business opportunities. India Post’s API integrations allow partners to track and manage their orders without the need to constantly communicate with personnel. ClickPost has a courier API integration with India Post, which allows eCommerce companies to go live with India Post in just a single day.
