If you are in a metro then you get the item shipped next day. I've shopped with Flipkart, Myntra etc and this has always been the norm and when usually it becomes 2-3 days it's because your stuff is being sent from a warehouse in another metro. As I live in B'lore Myntra has almost always done 1-day shipping or 2 at most.

You want your items to be shipped to a small town? There's a problem. You want to ship it to your parents in a very small town or rural area? Forget it!

There are other services like eBay India, which has recently, started 3-4 day shipping. Earlier for them it was 7-8 minimum as standard. Deal sites like SnapDeal etc follow the same minimum 7-8 days golden rule.

Sites like IndiaPlaza are plague. You get your stuff in months or fortnights and then you congratulate yourself.

The thing is there are so many options in India, even on smaller scales, for online shopping and people actively use them where they best deals. In USA when I try to buy sth, to get it via a friend who is coming form USA, I have more or less one option - Amazon!

Do you have an idea (or know someone who does) as to

1. How is the Shipping Label (with tracking# if that's feasible) generated?

2. Which are the major couriers picking up the packages from the small ecommerce shop locations and delivering them?

3. Is the Indian Post Office a major player at all (in the US, the USPS is the largest ecommerce delivery company...bigger than UPS, FedEx and DHL combined)

I don't think Indian Post Office is good option for courier stuff like a mobile phone, or a book.

But they are pretty good if you want to send a money order, letter or a registered post.