New orientations for India's postal policy

Indiapost is holding until the end of February 2012 a consultation on the new version of the long-awaited National Postal Policy. There is an unprecedented focus on:

– the provision of government services  – as a way to increase revenue and decrease the Post’s dependency on State subsidies

– network modernization with assistance from technology partners

– addressing standards and the creation of a national address database

– extended cooperation (e.g., infrastructure sharing) with industry players and competitors.

Here are some relevant quotes :

Expansion of Network

‐ ‘India’s Postal Network should be leveraged for a broad range of retailing, delivery of Government Schemes, promoting financial inclusion and socioeconomic equity’.

-‘The postal networks should be expanded and modernized in such a way that it results in the better access of postal services to consumers while also improving the revenues for the networks’.

Utilization of network

‐ ‘To ensure that postal networks are optimally used to the benefit of the Stateof India, Government structures at all levels viz. central, state and local may make optimal use of the postal infrastructure for the rendering of their services and may include Government to citizen cash transfers, electricity bill payments, tax collection on behalf of local/State/Central Governments, collection of license fees payment of pensions and various social security payments’.

‐ ‘Such mandates will not only benefit the recipients and the Government agencies concerned they will also generate revenues for postal networks thus reducing their dependence on USO subsidies for meeting the USO obligations’.

‐’ Efforts should be made to engage postal networks in all aspects of ecommerce backed by appropriate technology’.

Network modernization

‐’ It is inevitable that communications technology will continue to advance and those in the communication business will have to move to electronic means. The postal networks will therefore need to consider having technological partners to assist in implementing and maintaining the communication networks that will be needed’.

‐ ‘There should be minimum technology standards across postal industry for quality of service delivery. Areas for such standardization may inter alia include track and trace of letters, electronic acknowledgments, faster transmission of postal goods, and faster and wider dissemination of information’.

‐’ Rural postal networks need to be significantly strengthened by using modern technology’.

National Postal Address

-‘National address database along with a digital street directory needs to be created’

Partnerships

-‘There is scope for increased cooperation between the multinational operators and India Post in the field of cross‐border mails, parcels and logistics in a structured and transparent fashion, based on commercial terms agreeable to all parties. This will ensure the last mile advantage for delivery even in the remote, inaccessible and not so profitable areas’.

-‘Need for higher cooperation among various operators of the Sector in sharing the transport & warehousing infrastructure and to reach to a win‐win situation’.

-‘There is a need for an institutional arrangement for sharing of best practices amongst various Government and private operators in order to be able to develop the sector of Postal communication as a strong service industry’.

This key document is available at http://www.indiapost.gov.in/Postal_Policy/Pdf/India_Post_Postal_Policy.pdf