India has 19,101 PIN codes. Your ability to serve them determines your total addressable market. Most Indian brands start with 3,000–5,000 PIN codes through a single courier, leaving 60–70% of the country unserved.
Courier Comparison
| Courier | PIN Coverage | Transit Time | COD Support | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhivery | 18,000+ | 3–5 days | ✓ | Volume sellers |
| BlueDart | 35,000+ | 2–3 days | ✓ | Premium, time-sensitive |
| Shiprocket | 26,000+ (aggregator) | 3–6 days | ✓ | Small sellers (<500/month) |
| DTDC | 10,000+ | 4–7 days | ✓ | Widest Tier 4 coverage |
| Xpressbees | 15,000+ | 3–5 days | ✓ | Competitive rates |
Rate Negotiation
Shipping rates are negotiable — don't accept list prices. At 100 shipments/month, you can negotiate 5–10% off. At 1,000/month, 15–25%. At 5,000/month, 30–40%. Get quotes from 3 couriers simultaneously and use competing offers as leverage.
Weight Slabs and Volumetric Weight
Volumetric Weight Billing
Most couriers bill whichever is higher: actual weight or volumetric weight (L×B×H/5000 in cm). A lightweight product in a large box can be billed at 2–3x its actual weight. Optimize your packaging dimensions to minimize this.
Tracking and NDR Automation
Non-Delivery Reports (NDR) occur when a delivery attempt fails. Without follow-up, NDRs become RTOs (return to origin) — you've paid shipping both ways with zero revenue. Automate NDR follow-up: WhatsApp message within 2 hours of failed delivery, offering to reschedule.
