To compete with private courier and logistics companies, the central government has made significant changes to India Post’s regulations. New premium services, such as “24 Speed Post,” “48 Speed Post,” and “24 Speed Post Parcel,” have been introduced for faster delivery of documents and parcels. All these new premium services will be available from March 17, 2026.
Services to be available in 6 cities
New tariffs and categories for time-bound delivery have been added by amending the provisions of the Post Office Regulations, 2024. According to the notification, these services will initially be launched between six major cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. In subsequent phases, this facility will be expanded to other cities.
Guaranteed 24 and 48-hour delivery
To expedite the delivery of documents and parcels, different categories have been created:
- 24 Speed Post: Documents will be delivered to the destination city the very next day from the date of booking (Next-day delivery).
- 48 Speed Post: Under this, delivery of documents will be ensured within two working days.
- 24 Speed Post Parcels: Like documents, parcels will also be delivered the next day. These parcels will primarily be sent by air. However, if surface transport proves faster than air on a particular route, road transport will be used under the regulations.
Weight and fee regulations
The new parcel service will be available for shipments up to 5 kilograms. Postage charges will be calculated based on the higher of the ‘volumetric weight’ or ‘gross weight’. These services will be available to both general retail customers and corporate and wholesale customers who have contracts with the Postal Department.
What additional facilities will be available?
Proof of delivery
Pick-up facility from home or office
Insurance
The registration fee is Rs 5 per item, with GST applicable separately.
