India Post has started offering free doorstep collection of Diwali faral and gift parcels from Pune homes for overseas delivery, allowing residents to book the service without visiting a post office. The facility will remain available from October 15 until Diwali, while packing and international postage will be charged separately.
The Pune Postal Region said residents can request a home pickup by calling 7028007223 or 8421372317 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Postmen will collect the parcels without a pickup fee, while the Department of Posts will levy applicable charges for packing and international dispatch.
Priti Agarwal, Postmaster General of the Pune Region, said all post offices in Pune city offer facilities for sending Diwali faral abroad, including packing support. Packing equipment has been installed at Pune GPO, Pune City Head Post Office, Chinchwad East, Market Yard, Parvati and other major post offices.
The service is intended for Pune residents sending traditional festive food items and gifts to relatives and friends living overseas, including people abroad for work or education. India Post said it dispatched 21,000 kg of Diwali faral from Pune last year and delivered the parcels to recipients abroad in time for the festival.
A new booking counter for international parcels was also inaugurated on October 15 at APTMO Pune, located at the cargo terminal on the Pune Airport premises. Agarwal and Abhijeet Bansode, Director Postal Services, inaugurated the counter.
The airport booking counter will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., including Sundays and public holidays. Residents can use it to book festive delicacies and gifts for overseas delivery without relying on the home pickup facility.
India Post clarified that the free component covers only collection from the sender’s home. Residents will still have to pay the applicable packing and postage charges. The department has not specified a single delivery rate in the announcement, as charges will depend on the parcel and destination.
