IMPACT OF GEOPOLITICAL DISRUPTIONS ON B2C EXPORT LOGISTICS: A STUDY OF INDIA POST INTERNATIONAL SERVICES (FEBRUARY - MARCH 2026)

Abstract

This project looks at how India Post's two international B2C shipping services, ITPS (India Tracked Packet Service) and EMS (Express Mail Service), performed during a period of global disruption caused by the Iran war that started on February 28, 2026. The study was done during an internship at a B2C export logistics platform that gives Indian SME exporters access to multiple shipping options, including India Post. Using data from the company's internal Metabase dashboard, this report tracks what happened to shipments, revenue, customer numbers, destination countries, and delivery times across January, February, and March 2026. The main finding is simple: when the Iran war broke out on February 28, 2026, private logistics companies started charging war risk surcharges on routes to the USA and UK. India Post did not charge any surcharge. This price difference caused a big shift in customer behaviour in March. Shipments went up by 134%, revenue jumped by 143%, and the USA went from being a small destination in February to becoming the number one destination in March. The platform did not wait for customers to find this out on their own. The team changed how it spoke to customers about India Post. Before the war, India Post was just one of the available options on the platform. After the war started, the team repositioned it as the smart cost-saving choice with good delivery times. Targeted messages went out to existing and potential customers. The response was very strong. The study also looks at weight patterns, processing nodes, weekly trends, and customer groups to show a full picture of how the business changed across these three months. The key learning is practical: when a global event raises shipping costs across private carriers, a government postal service like India Post that does not add surcharges suddenly becomes much more attractive. Platforms and exporters who spot this early and act fast are the ones who benefit the most.