New
Delhi: The good old dakiya is in for a corporate makeover. Out goes
dull khaki, in come baseball caps and a colourful uniform. With
e-commerce-backed logistics companies breathing down their necks,
thousands of postmen and women will soon be seen in a new avatar to keep
up with the competition.
The
move comes along with the plan to set up India Post's payments bank
under which postmen will also be given smartphones and iPads to help
them facilitate transactions at doorsteps. "They want to be really
competitive. The logistics sector in India has undergone a sea change
with the boom in e-commerce. Several new firms are doing brisk business.
The uniform redesign is just part of a bigger exercise India Post is
undertaking to take on these new players," said a source.
The
Indian logistics industry is pegged at $300 billion and is expected to
grow at a compound annual rate of 12% by 2020, according to market
researcher Novonous.
E-commerce
companies including Flipkart and Snapdeal are looking to invest in the
sector to cut down on delivery times. Flipkart has announced that it
will invest around $2 billion in logistics over the next four years.
As
for the postman's new clothes, sources say several colours are being
considered - teal (deep blue-green) may be the final choice - and the
fabric will be more comfortable too. "The current uniform is a mix of
67% polyester and 33% viscose. It is durable and low-maintenance but
extremely uncomfortable in our climate. Also, the material for the upper
and lower is the same which is not practical," said an official. "On a
normal day, a postman walks 20-25km with a bag of around 20kg. He needs
something more breathable."
While
poly-vastra, a blended khadi fabric of cotton and polyester, was
considered for its 'luxurious' feel and breathability, the postmen were
not too keen because of the material's high maintenance.
"Postmen
have to get the uniform stitched from their allowance. So durability is
an issue. It has to last," the official said. "A better quality of the
polyester viscose material with minimum detailing is being tried out
now." Postwomen can pick a saree or salwar-kameez in a wide range of
choices.
Interestingly,
a similar proposal to change the colour of uniforms from khaki to blue
was shelved a few years ago. Postmen complained that the change robbed
them of their identity. "They compared themselves with the police and
thought khaki gave them a distinct look of being a government servant.
But times have changed and they need to adapt," said an official.
Source: Times of India
