Postman to get smart & look smart too

In age of e-tailing, drab dakiya to get smart & look smart too

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