Significance of Postal Services in India in the Electronic Age

The age of electronic media has showered its effect all over the country and affected the pivotal position of Indian postal service. Postal service in India once used to be the only means of communication as far as long distance correspondence is concerned. The new generation resorts to conveying messages via emails and text messages and very rarely through the traditional methods like post.

Communication has become fast, reliable and easy with the advent of internet. The most appealing feature about electronic media is that it consumes less time. Moreover documents can be scanned and electronically sent as attachments without much cost. However, security is a major issue when it comes to internet communication.

There are some limitations with electronic media which prevent it from dominating all means of communication.

• Firstly, parcels need courier services in India to be delivered across the states and cannot be sent via electronic media. This gives weightage to the trusted ways of Indian postal service. Bulk goods transfers which are required for economic transactions are also carried on with the help of courier services of India.
• Secondly, given the vastness of the country and the large number of regions which still do not have proper access to electricity and internet, the electronic media fails to extend its services. The only viable solution for their needs to communicate with the world outside comes in the form of highly networked postal and courier services of India.
• There may not be adequate supply of electricity and technology in the remotest of places, but the government takes care to install post offices which make correspondence possible.
• Furthermore, Indian postal service is not limited to exchange of words and parcels. The post offices in India are also responsible for a number of other services. For example, they act as banks and allow the local people to open up accounts and save money, thus helping in capital formation.
• Indian postal service contributes to a large percentage of revenue in the Indian treasury and generates employment opportunities for a considerable section of the society.

An efficient system of postal and courier services requires equal efficiency on the part of transport systems like shipping companies and transport companies, keeping them up and running. There have been developments in Indian postal service over the years. They have tied up with world net which makes express delivery system possible. The duration of goods in transit, as a result of which, has come down to four days.

The development of technology and the advent of electronic media have overshadowed the importance of postal and courier services to a certain degree. However, the functions of Indian postal service remain unhindered, albeit a little shaken by a fall in popularity. Courier services in India still have solid ground to stand on as it continues to deliver goods to and fro across the country.