India, Aug. 6 -- Shefali Sharma is in a fix. The 21-year-old runs a thrift store on Instagram, where she has over 6,000 followers. As a small seller, Sharma relies on India Post to ship dozens of parcels every month. The recent tariff revision by Indian Post has almost doubled her shipping costs.

"Earlier, when shipping was around Rs.40- Rs.50, small businesses could sometimes absorb that cost to make the shopping experience better for customers. But now, when even normal post is costing Rs.100- Rs.130, it's simply not practical anymore," Sharma told Hindustantimes.com.

She is not alone in facing this dilemma. Many small business owners and Instagram sellers have already informed customers that their shipping costs will increase. Others...