“When Gen Z design their own India Post Office in the ‘City of Letters’, this is how it turns out… refreshing, creative, and rooted in tradition,” this is what Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia had to say as he welcomed the launch of the latest post office extension counter at CMS College in Kottayam, Kerala.
India Post, through the Ministry of Communications, announced it had opened Kerala’s first “Gen Z” post office extension counter at the Kottayam institute as the Department of Posts looks for new ways to make “snail mail” more attractive and accessible to young people.
The new facility, inaugurated by N.R. Giri, Director of Postal Services for Kerala Central Region, functions as an extension counter of the Kottayam Head Post Office within the historic CMS campus.
Designed around the idea “of the students, by the students, for the students”, the entire space was imagined and co‑created by CMS students in collaboration with India Post officials.
The result is a café‑style, nature‑themed post office that doubles as a workplace, hangout zone and community hub, rather than a conventional counter‑and‑queue set‑up.
The extension counter features picnic‑table style seating, a vertical garden and extra seats made from refurbished tyres, highlighting a focus on sustainability and a relaxed, outdoor feel.
Inside, there is a work‑friendly ledge with charging points for laptops and phones, along with an indoor reading nook, bookshelf and board games to encourage students to linger, study and socialise.
India Post has also provided a fully equipped Multi‑Purpose Counter Machine (MPCM) booking counter, complete with packaging materials and a MyStamp printer, so that regular services like parcel booking, registered post and customised stamps are available on campus.
The walls are decorated with artwork created by students and staff, celebrating India Post, Kottayam’s literary heritage, Kerala’s culture and the college’s own values, tying the modern design back to local traditions. Officials describe the space as a “work café, green corner and community hub” that still delivers core postal services, reflecting a broader push by the Department of Posts to reimagine post offices as vibrant, youth‑centric, technology‑enabled spaces.
Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia highlighted the project on social media, sharing photos of the CMS College extension and praising how it brings together creativity, sustainability and modern service delivery while staying rooted in tradition.
India Post promoted the counter as a “new‑age post office” where students can “work, read, relax and access postal services, all in one place”. Recently, India Post revamped many post offices and extension counters as Gen Z facing outlets, including the post office at IIT Delhi.