My last experience with India Postal Service - Cables shipped from US - I was living in Pune at that time - Got stuck in Mumbai customs for 1.5 months - I wrote 2 letters, a few phonecalls, then I got my cousin from Indian Postal Service involved and then after 2 months the cables were delivered. I paid Rs4000 in duty (cables were $400). The cables were all dusty as the box must have sat in some dingy warehouse and they opened the box but did not close it well.
Anyways after that experience I am never going to use postal service anymore. My case may have been isolated and YMMV but be careful.
Cheers
Sid