India, Dec. 31 -- The Department of Posts in India has announced a rationalization of certain international letter post services, effective January 1, 2026. This initiative aims to improve efficiency and accountability in line with global practices and Universal Postal Union (UPU) recommendations.

The following services will be discontinued: the registered Small Packet service, which will now be restricted to document-only items; the Outward Small Packet service for goods sent by various means; and both the Surface Letter Mail Service and Surface Air Lifted (SAL) Letter Mail Service for outward letter post items.

The decision addresses challenges such as limited tracking, extended delivery times, and increased customs requirements in de...