With Raksha Bandhan approaching, India Post has rolled out a new International Track Packet Service aimed at sisters whose brothers live overseas. The service is designed to undercut the steep rates charged by private courier firms, giving families a cheaper and safer way to send rakhis abroad. It currently covers more than 30 countries, each with its own postage slab for the first 50 grams.
Lower charges for Asian and neighbouring countries
According to Sunil Kumar Meena, Superintendent of Post Offices for the Bhilwara Division, sending a rakhi weighing up to 50 grams to Thailand, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Singapore or the United Arab Emirates will cost just Rs 185. The charge rises slightly to Rs 190 for parcels headed to Malaysia, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. For neighbouring and nearby nations such as the Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, Kuwait and Oman, the department has kept the base fee for the first 50 grams especially low, making it easier for sisters to reach brothers settled close to India.
Europe and the US get rates cut to a quarter
Sisters with brothers in Europe or North America also stand to gain, with the department pricing the service at roughly a fourth of what it used to cost. A 50-gram rakhi parcel to the United Kingdom will cost Rs 360, while the United States will cost Rs 400 and Canada Rs 360. Germany is priced at Rs 245, France at Rs 335 and the Netherlands at Rs 320. Sending a rakhi to Austria or Belgium will cost Rs 325, and Italy is set at Rs 350.
Separate pricing for Latin America
The postal department has also fixed distinct rates for Latin American destinations. A rakhi sent to Brazil will cost Rs 290, Mexico Rs 220 and Argentina Rs 360 for the initial 50 grams.
Sisters can track the rakhi's journey from their phones
The service's biggest draw is its end-to-end tracking feature. Meena said sisters will be able to check from their mobile phones exactly which country or city their brother's rakhi has reached at any given moment. That real-time visibility should ease the anxiety families feel over whether a parcel sent overseas will arrive safely and on time.
Dedicated international counters coming up at head post offices
To prevent booking delays during the rush around Raksha Bandhan, the department is setting up dedicated international counters at all major post offices. The move is meant to ensure rakhis reach a brother's wrist on time even during the busiest days of the festival season, without sisters having to wait in long queues to book their parcels.
