For more than 170 years, India Post has been a trusted presence in people’s everyday lives. Today, as digital payments, e-commerce, and instant communication reshape how societies connect, the world’s largest postal network is navigating a transformation of an unprecedented scale.

In this episode of VoiceMail, Ms. Vandita Kaul, Secretary of the Department of Posts, reflects on leading change within an institution defined by both its vast physical reach and its expanding digital capabilities. She shares how trust, built over generations, and the human touch remain central to India Post’s relevance in a digital world.

The conversation explores how technology is enabling Posts to deliver far more than mail, from financial inclusion and citizen services to logistics, digital identity support, and innovative projects such as DigiPin and the integration of India’s Unified Payments Interface with global postal platforms.

Ms. Kaul also discusses India Post’s alignment with the UPU’s strategic priorities and the opportunities for collaboration across the global postal network. While technology drives evolution, it is people-centered systems, resilience, and a strong core mission that allow the Post to continue connecting people and possibilities worldwide.

In this episode of VoiceMail, we speak with Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer and Director of Digital, AI and Innovation at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), about the future of digital transformation and why its success depends on placing people, not technology, at the center.

Drawing on UNDP’s work in 170 countries, Opp explains how digital systems can accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, but also how they can deepen exclusion when rights, governance and access are not addressed from the start. From the global digital divide to the need for secure digital identity and payments, he highlights the core building blocks countries must put in place to make digital services truly accessible.

We also explore the unique power of the postal network, with more than 650,000 post offices worldwide, and how initiatives like the UPU’s connect.post can help ensure that even the most remote communities are not left behind in the digital age.

As mail volumes decline and e-commerce reshapes delivery, Portugal’s national postal operator has turned transformation into an opportunity. In this episode of VoiceMail, João Bento, CEO of CTT – Correios de Portugal, reflects on how one of the world’s oldest postal institutions continues to reinvent itself while staying true to its public-service mission. 

Drawing on his background in engineering and systems design, Bento explains how a culture of problem-solving and precision helped guide CTT through a deep modernization journey. From rethinking its nationwide network as a platform for services to building in-house engineering capacity, CTT has blended agility with tradition to meet the needs of a digital economy. 

Bento also shares his belief that while technology changes systems, people sustain culture, and that the postal sector’s enduring purpose lies in connecting citizens and businesses in tangible ways, no matter how digitized the world becomes.

Digital identity is far more than a practical tool – it is a crucial factor for financial inclusion and access to digital services. For people without an ID, those in remote areas, and many women, digital identity is key to accessing essential digital services. People without official identification are often invisible to systems, digital identity offers a path to recognition.

Visa has made it its mission to develop solutions that enable accessible, secure, and inclusive digital financial systems. Through its partnership with the UPU, Visa can further amplify its efforts to empower underserved communities.

In this episode of Voice Mail, Marie Austenaa, Head of Digital Identity at Visa, explains how Visa supports initiatives aimed at advancing women in the digital financial space – because empowering women benefits not only them, but also their families and communities. In this context, post offices play a crucial role as trusted partners in verifying digital identity. It becomes clear that digital identity is about much more than safely verifying one’s identity online - it is a tool that enables access to healthcare, education, and economic participation.

With 80% of cross-border e-commerce transported by air, air cargo is a cornerstone of global trade. Beyond enabling these economically vital exchanges, air transport fosters development, creates jobs, improves infrastructure, and drives global connectivity.

Since its founding in 1945, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has played a key role in shaping the air transport industry. Representing 320 airlines and 83% of global air traffic, IATA focuses on setting global standards, improving operational efficiency, and addressing the evolving challenges of the aviation sector.

Its partnership with the UPU is nearly as old as IATA itself. For seven decades, the two organizations have worked together to align postal and aviation processes, address safety and security concerns, and enhance the seamless exchange of data across the supply chain.

In this episode of Voice Mail, André Majeres, Head of E-Commerce and Cargo Operations at IATA, explores how air cargo underpins cross-border e-commerce, a market projected to account for one in three parcels globally by 2027. He discusses IATA’s key priorities – safety, security, digitalization, and sustainability – and emphasizes that open collaboration among all supply chain stakeholders, innovation, and seamless integration are essential to the persistent vitality and relevance of post-airline cooperation.

Illicit drug trafficking is a shadowy industry with devastating impacts: depleting socioeconomic resources, disrupting trade, fuelling corruption, and eroding social cohesion. Its ripple effects extend across health systems, public infrastructure, and even the environment – deforestation and soil degradation are just some of its hidden casualties. In 2024, nearly 300 million people worldwide were reported to use drugs (UNODC), underscoring the urgent need for coordinated action.

This transnational challenge evolves rapidly, with traffickers exploiting ever-changing routes, methods, and substances – most alarmingly, synthetic opioids. These potent drugs, traded in minute quantities, are hardly detectable, presenting unprecedented challenges for enforcement agencies.

In this episode of Voice Mail, Ian Kerr speaks with Jagjit Pavadia, Board Member and former President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), to uncover how global cooperation can outpace criminal ingenuity. Pavadia shares insights into international partnerships, innovative technologies, and the critical role of the postal network in combatting illicit trafficking. From risk profiling and real-time intelligence sharing to training postal operators to detect illegal substances – even hidden in the heels of stiletto shoes – this episode explores actionable solutions to a pressing global crisis.