Postal department launches premium services with 24-hour, 48-hour delivery guarantee

The Department of Posts on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) rolled out three premium services, with 24-hour and 48-hour delivery guarantees for urgent and time-sensitive consignments, as it seeks to reinvent itself against a growing field of courier services that promise delivery within hours.

Launching the services — 24 Speed Post, 24 Speed Post Parcel, and 48 Speed Post — Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India Post’s revenue growth is encouraging, with a 20% growth in the 11 months of FY26.

Initially, these services are being rolled out in six cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad — with the goal of providing nationwide coverage by March 2027. The department will utilise dedicated processing and priority air transport to adhere to delivery timelines.

Mr. Scindia said the launch marks a moment of renewal for India Post and has outlined a massive underlying opportunity.

The e-commerce market, he said, is set to grow to Rs 30 lakh crore by 2030, almost tripling from Rs 11 lakh crore at present.

“Today, parcels are only 5 per cent of our business. But it is our common objective that parcel (service) has to become the growth engine of our enterprise. In the 11 months of this year (FY26), the parcel business has grown by over 44 per cent… But we have to push this engine even further. There is no reason why we should not become a full-fledged delivery engine,” the Minister noted.

The new offerings will feature OTP-verified deliveries and comprehensive end-to-end tracking paired with real-time SMS alerts, according to an official statement.

Businesses will have options of ‘Book Now, Pay Later (BNPL)’, centralised billing, and API integration. Additionally, free pickup for bulk shipments and a money-back guarantee, in case of a delayed delivery, will also be provided.