India and Germany agree on structured partnership covering postal, express and logistics services

India and Germany have taken a significant step towards strengthening bilateral cooperation in the postal, express and logistics sectors with the signing and exchange of two key instruments at Ahmedabad during the visit of Mr Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany to India.

The documents signed include: (i) a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) between the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Federal Republic of Germany;

and 

(ii) a Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Department of Posts and Deutsche Post AG, the designated postal operator of Germany.

The collaboration envisages a structured partnership covering postal, express and logistics services, with a strong focus on cross-border e-commerce and time-definite international deliveries. It provides a framework for developing joint products and services, strengthening network connectivity and last-mile cooperation, and exploring bilateral rate arrangements for letters and parcels. The partnership also emphasises the exchange of best practices in digitalisation, operational efficiency, sustainability and green logistics.

A key expected outcome of the collaboration is the launch of joint premium international express products, including a time-definite international express service that will leverage the extensive last-mile reach of India Post and the global express and logistics network of the Deutsche Post-DHL Group. This integrated approach is expected to significantly improve transit times, reliability and end-to-end visibility for international shipments originating from India.

The initiative is aligned with the Government of India’s vision to boost exports, particularly from MSMEs, start-ups, artisans and small producers, by providing them with reliable, affordable and globally competitive logistics solutions. By enhancing access to international markets and strengthening India’s logistics ecosystem, the collaboration is expected to contribute to higher export volumes, improved service quality and increased participation of Indian businesses in global value chains.

The signing of these instruments reflects the shared commitment of India and Germany to deepen economic cooperation, promote innovation in postal and logistics services, and support sustainable growth in international trade, emphasised an official release.

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