If a postman knocks on your door during evening hours, don't be surprised. They are there to deliver your parcel once you reach home after your office hours so that you don't have to visit the nearest post office to collect your returned goods.

Starting next week the India Post will commence delivery of e-commerce goods during late afternoon and early evening hours. "To begin with e-commerce parcels will be delivered till late 8pm. Delivery at residences will be kept for later part of the day so that those families who are not at their respective offices during the day can get doorstep parcel delivery and not visit the post office the next day to claim the goods," said Ashok Kumar Dash, chief post master general, Maharashtra Circle.

The Maharashtra Circle of India Post has already established its e-commerce parcel processing unit in Parel area to have a centralised distribution network. The pilot project of delivery till 8 pm will initially cover areas of Bandra-Khar-Santacruz and Chembur-Ghatkopar.

"These areas are from where majority of the e-commerce orders are placed and sent. Therefore, we decided to commence the experiment from these suburbs of Mumbai instead of initiating it in south Mumbai," said Dash.

The postman will be handing over e-commerce parcels through mechanised delivery process on a pilot basis, and at a later stage speed post letters too would be delivered till 8 in the night.

The latest initiative by the India Post is aimed at giving a fight to private courier services and upgrading itself in order to be appealing in an ever-competitive e-commerce delivery market. Apart from increasing revenue potential, it will also help the department to improve its goodwill among the public.