Delhi, March 20: The visit of the Secretary (Posts), Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, to Bhutan from 19-22 March 2026 enhanced India-Bhutan cooperation in the postal sector by strengthening connectivity, service delivery, and institutional collaboration between the postal administrations of the two countries.
During the visit, Secretary (Posts), Ministry of Communications, Government of India and Secretary, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Royal Government of Bhutan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Postal Cooperation, providing a structured framework for collaboration between India Post and Bhutan Post. The MoU aims to promote cooperation in areas such as postal operations, technology development, capacity building, logistics connectivity, philately, and knowledge exchange.
A key highlight of the engagement was the upcoming launch of the UPU-UPI cross-border remittance initiative, which will enable efficient and affordable remittance services between India and Bhutan through the postal network by integrating the Universal Postal Union (UPU) PosTransfer system with India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). This initiative will enhance financial connectivity and make digital remittance services more accessible to citizens in both countries.
Both sides also emphasized the importance of capacity building, training and professional development. Under the cooperation framework, Bhutanese postal officials will participate in training programmes in India alongside their Indian counterparts at institutions of the Department of Posts, including the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Postal Academy and other training centres. These programmes are in areas such as operational expertise, management capacity, and emerging technologies in the postal sector.
India and Bhutan also agreed to deepen collaboration in the technology domain, including sharing experience and best practices related to India Post’s evolving technology ecosystem. This includes cooperation in areas such as digital postal systems and the Digital Address Code, which can support more efficient addressing, logistics planning, and improved service delivery.
The two sides welcomed continued cooperation in philately and cultural exchange, with Bhutan Post invited to participate in philatelic exhibitions organized in India.
India also expressed its readiness to share its experience and knowledge in postal financial services, including how postal networks can support financial inclusion by channelizing public savings and providing accessible financial services to communities.
Strengthened cooperation between India Post and Bhutan Post will help further modernize postal systems of the two countries and ensure that these networks remain efficient, inclusive, and responsive to the evolving needs of citizens and businesses.
