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What's in the post?

WHO IS THE biggest retailer in the country today? The quick answer would be Shoppers' Stop, FoodWorld or Subhiksha, the latter two Chennai-headquartered retailers. But the answer to that seeming sitter of a question would be the post-office. Before retail became as fashionable as it is today, for years the Department of Posts has been selling a variety of stationery and savings products through its over 1.5 lakh post-offices. Only, it was not cloaked in the right jargon.

However, in a spate of initiatives, the DoP is trying to goad the slumbering organisation to leverage its vast network of people and post-offices to emerge as a proactive, super-retailer peddling a variety of services and products. It has evolved a brand , India Post, offering an umbrella of value-added services, ranging from e-mail kiosks to a tie-up with the IDBI to retail its products through its vast network. Its latest product lets corporates design their own stamps on personalised envelopes.

The innovations may be tumbling out from post-office counters. But it is imperative that at least some of them succeed in the marketplace. Post-offices worldwide are trying to generate alternative sources of revenue in a bid to become profit-driven. Whil e they do have huge networks, the private sector is now increasingly impinging on their sphere of services. The DoP would willy nilly have to put its best foot forward or be marginalised, at least where its services in the urban areas and to the corporat e sector are concerned. Already, the coming of the Internet generation has seen the virtual fall of mail in the box.

Postal services in 2000-01 are projected to show a deficit of Rs 1,961 crore and the Plan support too for the DoP is dwindling. Hence, the imperative to seek alternative sources of funds. However, this fiscal its value-added services are expected to tot up only around Rs 300 crore, pin money for the post-office. However, it has made a beginning. And the reality of the two Indias will ensure that the post-office continues to be as relevant as it was all these years in the rural and semi-urban areas. But it must begin to make money on its own. And it has to act, post haste.