More Than Just Mail: India Post Joins Ecommerce Fray With Shopping Website

The state-run postal system, India Post, announced the full fledged launch of its ecommerce website and said it will use its existing parcel business for end-to-end delivery of products. The website had a soft launch earlier in November.

Indian minister of communications, Manoj Sinha, said that the company — Department of Posts —  is now open to all vendors to register on its shopping website. India Post will take products from the vendors and get them delivered at the customer’s doorstep. Further, the company will be setting up a separate parcel directorate to help take quick decisions related to parcel rates and other provisions.

Known as one of the world’s largest postal services, India post is counting on its 155K post offices to make inroads into the remotest villages of India.

Indian Post Online Shopping: An Overview

The ecommerce website which can also be accessed from the India Post official website comes with a basic layout offering a limited collection of products as of now.  At present, one can find Indian cultural and religious products like Gangajal (packaged water from the Ganges river), idols of religious figures, organic products including herbal toothpaste, shampoo and apparel.

(The India Post shopping website)

Unlike other present day ecommerce websites, the India post e-store at present does not offer any filtering features based on brands, price, size, and colours.

India Post’s secretary A N Nanda, mentioned that the ecommerce service will also facilitate the return of products like it is available on other platforms.

According to a Deloitte report, the logistics industry which plays a vital role in the ecommerce space is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17% to reach $6.5 Bn (INR 46,749 Cr) by 2023.

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