Global IT giant HP is fighting it out with domestic IT services companies such as Infosys Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro for a Department of Post contract. The contract, which involves implementation of financial services solution, is one of the eight projects that the department is outsourcing as part of its IT modernisation initiative.

"Four companies have submitted commercial and financial bids and the bids are currently being evaluated. The contract seeks to provide connectively to 170,000 post offices in the country for anytime, anywhere banking," sources said.

While the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs last year approved the `India Post 2012' IT modernisation project at an overall outlay of Rs 1,877 crore, the entire project will be implemented through eight separate contracts. However, the break-up in terms of value for individual contract could not be immediately ascertained.