India Post, under the communications ministry, aims to fly high - either through acquiring a fleet of planes or going global.
NEW DELHI: India Post, under the communications ministry, aims to fly high - either through acquiring a fleet of planes or going global.
The department will seek approval from the Union Cabinet soon for leasing four aircraft to improve its Express Parcel service.
According to the secretary, department of posts, IMG Khan, the estimated cost of the project to lease the aircraft is Rs 224 crore.
While an aircraft is already in operation for the Express Parcel service linking the Kolkata-North East sector, three more aircraft are expected to connect at least nine more air-grids in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Patna/
Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Nagpur.
A tendering process would determine from where the remaining fleet would be leased. Private airlines are expected to participate in the tendering process. The department had leased the first aircraft from Air India.
Global tie-ups are also in the offing, Khan said. These collaborations could be for both domestic and overseas distribution including parcels, speed post, and other mail facilities. Administrations and companies across Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, UK and US, among others are in talks with India Post.
German Post has already entered a pact with India Post. Others keen to collaborate are Royal Mail, DHL and TNT.
The department is about to launch its money transfer service between India and the Middle-East. Announcing reduced tariff and value-added facilities for the Express Parcel service on Wednesday, an India Post official said that soon people would say “Express it” in India, just like Americans say “Fedex it”.
m_nivedita@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}