Digital payments major PayPal on Wednesday said it will hire 1,000 engineers this year for its India development centres across Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

PayPal will hire 1,000 engineers for the development centres in these three cities over the year across software, product development, data science, risk analytics and business analytics streams at entry, mid-level, and senior roles, a statement said.

The India Technology Centres currently employs over 4,500 people across the three centres.

PayPal India has also announced its plans for campus hires from top engineering colleges across India.

The company highlighted that the pandemic has accelerated the shift towards digital payments and highlighted the benefits of adopting a digital-first approach.

PayPal's products and services have become even more relevant now, and hence, the need to focus on technology innovation across AI/ML, Data Science, Risk and Security, Customer Experience and other key areas, it said.

"Our India Technology Centres are the largest for PayPal outside of the US and play a pivotal role in enabling us to constantly innovate and remain ahead of the curve," Guru Bhat, VP Omni Channel & Customer Success, GM – PayPal India, said.

He added that as digital payments move from a nice-to-have to an essential service, the company is focused on investing in and nurturing world-class technology talent to continue to offer products and services that meet the needs of its growing base of consumers and merchants.

Last month, Paypal said it will stop offering domestic payment services within India from April 1, and instead focus on enabling more international sales for Indian businesses.