India Post to launch guaranteed next-day delivery service in Jan

India Post is set to introduce a new guarantee-based delivery service for mails and parcels, offering customers assured timelines of 24 and 48 hours, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced on Friday.

Aimed at enhancing the efficiency and reliability of postal services across the country, the initiative will see 24-hour and 48-hour delivery options for mails and next-day delivery for parcels, starting January-2026.

The move is part of India Post’s broader strategy to modernise its operations and compete with private courier services, while leveraging its vast network that reaches even the most remote areas of the country.

Addressing a joint media briefing on the one-year achievements of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, the Department of Posts, and the Department of Telecommunications, the Union Minister for Development of North-Eastern Region said all N-E states would be connected by rail by 2029.

Scindia said, “As compared to just nine airports in eight N-E states, with no airports in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, the number has now increased to 17, with four airports in Arunachal Pradesh alone. As regards rail connectivity, all NE states will be connected by the year 2029.”

“We are also progressing with the Kaladan and India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway projects to connect the N-E region with the rest of the world. The region is emerging as the gateway of India rather than being the last frontier,” he added.

The minister said the North-East is being positioned as a key driver of India’s economic growth. “The North-East today represents the spirit of a new India — empowered, connected and future-ready,” he added.

He noted higher decadal GDP growth in the region than the national average, a high literacy rate and a large young population, with 70 per cent under the age of 28. “All these combine to make the region the growth engine of India in the true sense,” he added.

The ministry reported its highest-ever expenditure of Rs 3,447.71 crore in FY 2024-25, a 74.4 per cent increase over the previous year and more than 200 per cent growth in three years.

Through the Inter-Ministerial Facilitation Mechanism, MDoNER accelerated approvals for major infrastructure projects, including the Shillong Airport expansion, the alternative alignment of NH-10 in Sikkim and Kailashahar Airport development in Tripura.

Investment in the Northeast increased during the year. The minister said the Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav in December 2024 generated Rs 2,326 crore in investment leads, and the North-East Banker’s Conclave led to commitments for 51 new bank branches and expanded MSME credit.

The ministry also focused on tourism and cultural promotion through a unified Brand Northeast strategy.