Summary of this article
Registered Post - a familiar name for anyone who has sent legal papers, court notices, or official applications - no longer exists as a standalone service. From September 1, 2025, the Department of Posts has merged Registered Post with Speed Post for all domestic deliveries.
Registered Post, which has for long been the go-to option for sending official documents, court notices, and tenders, has now been merged with Speed Post. Effective September 1, 2025, the Department of Posts (DoP) has done away with Registered Post as a standalone service. Now, all such mail will now be handled as Speed Post.
The move, announced in a circular in July 2025, is aimed at streamlining services and giving customers faster delivery with better tracking.
Payable Features
Registered Post’s hallmark features like proof of delivery and acknowledgment due, will no longer be bundled by default in the speed post services.
They will be available as an optional, paid add-on services within Speed Post. For instance, proof of delivery can be included as an additional Rs 10 per article, in addition to the standard tariff applicable. This makes it important for senders, especially government offices, courts, and businesses, to explicitly request these add-ons when booking.
Tariff Structure of Speed Post
Speed Post pricing depends on both weight and distance. For instance, an article weighing 50 gram will cost Rs 15 for a local delivery, and Rs 35 for any distance between 200 and 2,000 kilometres.
For consignments between 51 and 200 grams, the tariff is Rs 25 for local delivery, Rs 35 for up to 200 kilometres, Rs 40 for 201-1,000 kilometres, Rs 60 for 1,001-2,000 kilometres, and Rs 70 if the distance is above 2,000 kilometres.
If the weight is between 201 and 500 grams, the cost rises to Rs 30 for local delivery, Rs 50 for up to 200 kilometres, Rs 60 for 201-1,000 kilometres, Rs 80 for 1,001 to 2,000 kilometres, and Rs 90 for delivery beyond 2,000 kilometres.
For heavier items, every additional 500 grams or part thereof will cost Rs 10 for local delivery, Rs 15 for up to 200 kilometres, Rs 30 for 201-1,000 kilometres, Rs 40 for 1,001-2,000 kilometres, and Rs 50 for distances above 2,000 kilometres.
Delivery Timelines
Delivery speed by India Post depends on the origin and destination. For instance, local consignments usually reach within 1-2 days, while sending from one metro to another takes between 1 and 3 days, while state capital to state capital consignments may take anywhere from 1-4 days.
If you are sending mail within the same state, it is usually delivered in 1-4 days. For the rest of the country, the expected time is about 4-5 days. Deliveries to branch offices may require an additional day.
Better Tracking, Faster Resolution
Unlike Registered Post, which functioned with limited tracking, Speed Post offers real time online tracking for your parcels with SMS updates, and quicker compliant resolution. For regular customers, this means they get more visibility into where their parcels are at any point.
What Changes For Consumers
For individuals, the change is quite straightforward - they will now book parcel deliveries under speed post instead of Registered Post but with an extra cost to add proof of delivery if needed.
For legal and government offices, who have long relied on the ‘RPAD’ (Registered Post with Acknowledgement Due), the consignment deliveries will require adjustment procedures and documentation to get accustomed to these changes.
The DoP has already instructed all its divisions and directorates to update their forms, manuals, and standard operating procedures to reflect the shift.
In short: Speed Post has replaced Registered Post with faster service and better tracking, but with some features now coming as additional charges.
