India Post has started its new journey into the field of e-marketplace with an aim to provide end to end support to rural artisans and online retailers to sell their products using e-Commerce portal of Department of Post (DOP). Department of Post operating with a vast network of more than 1.5 lakh post offices, will provide the services of dispatching the products sold through its e-commerce portal via its Speed post services.
e-Commerce Portal of the Department of Posts (DoP) was launched by the Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge), Shri Manoj Sinha on 14th December 2018. The e-commerce portal helps to maximize the reach and retailing power of small and local sellers by serving as an e-marketplace particularly for the rural artisans, self-help groups, women entrepreneurs, State and Central PSUs, Autonomous Bodies, etc.., so they can sell their products throughout the country.
Features of India Post e-commerce portal
The following are the main features available with the e-commerce portal of India Post.
Selling Products via e-commerce portal– The Rural artisans, self-help groups, women entrepreneurs, State and Central PSUs, Autonomous Bodies, etc.., can now sell their products via India Post e-commerce website to buyers across the country.
Purchasing Products via e-commerce portal– The buyers can access and purchase the products displayed on India Post e-commerce website which shall be delivered or dispatched through the postal department’s speed post services.
Return of Products– The e-commerce portal of the Department of Post has framed under such policies where customers can return the products he purchased, quoted by the Department of Posts.
Registration of seller– The sellers will be registered under India post-e-commerce website at free of cost for the period of six months.
Delivery Charges– The parcel rates and other related issues shall be decided by the separate parcel directorate formed by the department of posts.
Products offered
At present e-commerce website of India post has been offering the products under the following categories
- Retail Items
- India Post Products
- Clothing’s
- Fashion and Jewellery
- Tribal craft
- Bags
- Gifts and Novelties
- Baskets and Boxes
- Organic and Natural
- Handloom products
- Miscellaneous
- Philatelic Items
Procedure for Registration under India post-e-commerce website
Following is the complete process of registration under the India Post e-commerce portal.
- Visit the official website of India post-e-commerce portal (ecom.indiapost.gov.in).
- After visiting the India post-e-commerce portal, click the “My Account” tab displayed on the home page.
- On clicking the “My Account” tab a login page shall be displayed, click the “Register now” tab to enter the details such as name, address, mobile number, email id, etc.., of the person registering on the forum displayed.
- After successfully submitting the aforesaid information/details, the user will be get registered under the e-commerce portal of the department of post.
- Now the registered person/user can log on into the India post-e-commerce portal by entering the login credentials as required on the My Account tab.
Recent developments or initiatives made by the Ministry of communications
- Internet Banking under Core Banking Solution (CBS) facility has been launched for the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) customers so that the customers of Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) can intra-operate the accounts and also can transfer funds online to RD and PPF accounts of Post Offices.
- With a motive to bring the philately to the mainstream of the education system and incentivizing the same, the Department of Posts has launched a scholarship program for school children called Deen Dayal SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby).