First Darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja With Release of Picture Postcards and Special Cancellation!

Ganapati (Lord Ganesh) Festival, the biggest 11-day social-cultural-religious festival of Maharashtra, begins this Wednesday, August 27, 2025 with thousands of Sarvajanik (public) and Gharguti (household) Ganesh idols being installed and worshipped across Mumbai and Maharashtra. Throughout the decades of this mass-based pulsating Ganesh Festival Lalbaugcha Raja Puja has been enjoying a special place among the millions of devotees, not only of the state but across India, with His First Darshan being a most sought-after event following which the endless queues mark all of the 11 days. 

For Ganesh Festival-2025 the First Darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja for the digital and print media was organized on Sunday evening, the 24th of August 2025, by The Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal at Lalbaug, Mumbai. 

On this occasion, Amitabh Singh, Chief Postmaster General of Maharashtra Postal Circle, released a set of four picture postcards on "Ganesh Utsav: Cultural Heritage of Maharashtra" along with a special cancellation.

These four Picture Postcards are specially designed for this event by Padma Shri awardee Achyut Palav who was present for the release function. 

Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandal Chairman Babasaheb Sudam Kambale; Secretary Shri Sudhir Sitaram Salavi; Dr. Sudhir Jakhere, APMG (BD) Maharashtra Circle; Yadagiri Nyalapelli, Asstt. Director (PSR) Maharashtra Circle and Philatelist Ashwini Manjure were among those present on the occasion.

Amitabh Singh conveyed his greetings to all the devotees of Lord Ganesh and the philatelists across Maharashtra and Goa.

Ganapati Bappa Morya!

Courtesy: ADPSR, Maharashtra Postal Circle, Mumbai.

India Post Temporarily Suspends Postal Services to USA from 25 August!

India Post has announced today that postal services to the United States of America will be temporarily suspended with effect from 25 August, 2025 with a few exceptions. The press release issued says that it has taken note of the Executive Order No. 14324 issued by the US Administration on 30th July, 2025, under which the duty-free de minimis exemption for goods valued up to $800 will be withdrawn with effect from 29th August, 2025. Consequently, all international postal items destined for the USA, regardless of their value, shall be subject to customs duties per the country-specific International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework. However, gift items up to the value of $100 shall continue to remain exempt from duties.

Per the Executive Order, transport carriers delivering shipments through the international postal network, or other “qualified parties” approved by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are required to collect and remit duties on postal shipments. While CBP issued certain guidelines on 15th August, 2025, several critical processes relating to the designation of “qualified parties” and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance remain undefined. Consequently, US bound air carriers have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after 25th August, 2025, citing lack of operational and technical readiness.

In view of the above, the Department of Posts has decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles, destined for USA with effect from 25th August, 2025 except letters/documents and gift items up to $100 in value. These exempt items will continue to be accepted and delivered to USA, subject to further clarifications from CBP and USPS.

India Post is closely monitoring the evolving situation in coordination with all stakeholders, and every effort is being made to normalize services at the earliest possible opportunity. Customers who have already booked articles that cannot be dispatched to the USA due to these circumstances may seek a refund of postage. 

The Department of Posts deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to customers and assures that all possible measures are being undertaken to resume full services to USA at the earliest.

Courtesy: ADPSR, Maharashtra Postal Circle, Mumbai.

India Post and World Trade Centre Sign MoU to Empower MSMEs and Entrepreneurs!

In a landmark step towards strengthening India’s international trade ecosystem, India Posht and the World Trade Centre (WTC), Mumbai have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today in Mumbai to enhance global market access for Indian businesses, with a special focus on MSMEs and entrepreneurs.

This strategic collaboration combines India Post’s unmatched postal reach with WTC’s global trade expertise, thus creating a powerful platform to help Indian enterprises expand their footprint in international markets. The novel initiative is expected to boost exports, facilitate cross-border partnerships, and empower small businesses to go global.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Suchita Joshi, Postmaster General, Navi Mumbai Region, Dr. Sudhir G. Jhakere, Assistant Postmaster General and Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, WTC Mumbai.

The ceremony was also graced by Captain Somesh Batra, Vice Chairman, WTC Mumbai; Sangeeta Jain, Senior Director, AIAI (All India Association of Industries); Priya Pansare, Director, WTC Mumbai; and Vipul Mandlesha of Export Promotion Team.

Speaking on the occasion, officials emphasized that the partnership will act as a catalyst for MSMEs and startups, enabling them to leverage India Post’s extensive logistics network and WTC’s international trade facilitation services and is expected to open new global opportunities for Indian businesses and contribute significantly to the vision of making India a hub for global trade and entrepreneurship.

Courtesy: ADPSR, Maharashtra Postal Circle, Mumbai.