National Postal Week Special:
-Bruhaspati Samal-
The transformation of India Post today
is deeply anchored in technology. On Technology Day (6th October), the
Department of Posts celebrates its leap into the digital era with the IT 2.0 –
Advanced Postal Technology (APT) project, a Rs.5,800 crore initiative that has
modernized postal operations across 1.7 lakh post offices. Hosted on the
Government’s MeghRaj 2.0 cloud, APT brings real-time data integration, micro-service
architecture, QR-code payments, and OTP-based delivery confirmations, ensuring
faster and more transparent services. A revolutionary step, the new DIGIPIN
(Digital Postal Index Number) is redefining postal accuracy through a
10-character alphanumeric geo-coded address developed with IIT Hyderabad and
ISRO’s NRSC. This innovation assigns each address a digital identity, promising
error-free delivery even in the remotest corners. With over 4.6 lakh employees
trained and more than 1.9 lakh postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks armed with mobile
and biometric devices, India Post has seamlessly blended human service with
digital power. On a single test day, APT handled over 32 lakh bookings and 37
lakh deliveries, a testament to the Post’s readiness for a global, high-volume
ecosystem.
If technology forms the backbone,
financial inclusion remains the heart of the postal service. On Financial
Inclusion Day (7th October), India Post celebrates a quiet revolution reaching
the unbanked and underserved through the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). With
more than 12 crore customers, of whom 59 percent are women, IPPB embodies
inclusive growth in action. Its network has delivered over one billion doorstep
banking services and facilitated transactions worth Rs.13 lakh crore, ensuring
that no village remains untouched by digital finance. The Post’s deposit base
has approached Rs.20,000 crore, with revenues of over Rs.2,200 crore and
profits exceeding Rs.130 crore, marking its financial viability alongside its
social mission. In countless rural areas, the post office remains the only
accessible banking touch-point, where the trusted postmaster doubles as banker,
insurance agent, and pension distributor. As APT and UPI integration expand,
rural India is now part of a larger digital economy — proof that the post has
not merely survived the fintech wave but has steered it towards inclusivity.
Philately Day (8th October) celebrates
the aesthetic and cultural soul of India Post. Stamps are tiny ambassadors of
history and heritage, carrying India’s stories across borders. Through “My
Stamp”, citizens can now personalize stamps with their own photographs,
blending personal memory with national pride. India Post continues to release
thematic stamps on events, heritage sites, and eminent personalities, while
philatelic exhibitions inspire schoolchildren and collectors alike. What may
seem like a fading hobby is in fact a living bridge — connecting generations,
nurturing patriotism, and subtly promoting India’s image worldwide. Philately
keeps alive the spirit of storytelling, reminding us that every letter is both
local and universal — a message from one human being to another.
As the week reaches its heart on World
Post Day (9th October), India Post stands tall among global networks as a
symbol of trust and inclusiveness. With its #PostForPeople spirit, it not only
connects homes but sustains livelihoods. The introduction of OTP-based
delivery, revised tariffs, and real-time parcel tracking has given new energy
to traditional services. The post office is now an essential logistics partner
in India’s booming e-commerce market, empowering artisans, start-ups, and small
traders to reach customers worldwide. Behind this modern machinery stand the
silent warriors — the postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks — who travel miles each day
through rain, heat, or flood, ensuring that every delivery, however small,
reaches its destination. Their service is not driven by profit, but by pride
and duty.
The final day, Customer Day (10th
October), reflects the most human aspect of the postal system — the enduring
relationship between citizens and their Post. Affordable services, accessible
branches, and a growing digital interface have kept customer satisfaction high,
especially in rural India. The online grievance redressal system, CRM complaint
portal, and 24×7 toll-free number demonstrate how India Post listens and adapts
to the needs of its users. Beyond technology, however, lies something more
profound — trust. In a village, the postmaster may know every family by name;
in a city, the postman may deliver medicines to the elderly or exam forms to
anxious students. Such personal connection cannot be coded into any app or
replaced by any algorithm. It is what keeps the post alive in an age of instant
communication.
Each day of the National Postal Week
thus tells a chapter of a larger story — of modernization without losing the
human touch. Technology strengthens the roots; financial inclusion expands the
branches; philately blossoms as cultural heritage; and customer care forms the
fragrance of trust. Together, they prove that the postal system remains the
truest embodiment of “local service, global reach.”
In the digital storm of automation and speed, India Post stands as a quiet, steady force that connects hearts, families, and generations. It is both the messenger of yesterday and the network of tomorrow. As the theme beautifully reminds us — #PostForPeople: Local Service. Global Reach. — the true measure of progress lies not just in technological efficiency but in the warmth of human connection. Let every World Post Day renew our gratitude and pride in those who make this possible — the men and women of India Post, the custodians of trust, who remind us that no distance is too far when hearts are linked by service.
(The writer is a Service
Union Representative, former All India Organising General Secretary, National
Federation of Postal Employees, P-III, CHQ, New Delhi and a Columnist. Mobile:
9437022669)
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Read the article also in SAPOSTS:
https://www.saposts.com/2025/10/national-postal-week-special-post-for.html?m=1
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