Accordingly, these services were notified by the Ministry of Communications, Department of Posts through the ‘Post Office (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2026’, published in the Gazette of India. They will come into force from March 17, 2026.
The amendments modify provisions of the ‘Post Office Regulations, 2024’, introducing new premium delivery categories and tariff structures for time-bound postal services.
According to the notification, the new services will initially operate between the metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with provision for expansion to other cities at a later stage.
Under the framework, ‘24 Speed Post’ will provide next-day delivery from the date of booking between identified origin and destination cities, while ‘48 Speed Post’ will ensure delivery within two working days.
These services will apply to documents under the ‘Speed Post’ category.
Apart from document delivery, the notification also introduces ‘24 Speed Post Parcel’, which will provide next-day parcel delivery between identified cities.
Notably, parcels under this category will generally be transmitted by air. However, the regulations allow for surface transport on routes where it is determined to be faster than air transmission.
The new parcel service, the notification said, will follow a weight-based tariff structure for shipments up to 5 kilograms, with postage determined on the basis of volumetric weight or gross weight, whichever is higher.
Besides, the services will be available to both retail customers and bulk or corporate customers who enter into agreements with the Department of Posts.
Furthermore, several value-added services will be available for these products, including proof of delivery, pick-up facilities, insurance and registration, as applicable to existing ‘Speed Post’ services.
The notification states that registration will attract a fee of Rs 5 per item, with Goods and Services Tax (GST) applicable separately.
Additionally, One-Time Password (OTP)-based delivery will be provided as a bundled feature for certain services, including the ‘24 Speed Post Parcel’, without additional charges.
The notification further stated that the conditions relating to weight, size and permissible contents applicable to ‘Speed Post’ documents and parcels will apply to these premium services.
In addition, circle heads have been authorised to identify the postal offices where bookings for ‘Speed Post’ documents and the new premium products may be accepted.
Meanwhile, compensation provisions applicable to existing Speed Post services will also apply to the new offerings.
Published on March 15, 2026