UK-based telecom provider British Telecom (BT) said it would hire 1,800 people in India by April 2024 to grow its in-house digital expertise and workforce from 3,500 to 6,500, which will include adding 1,000 employees in the UK.

The employees in India will be based around Bengaluru and Gurugram across roles spanning product management, software engineering, cloud, design, data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and agile delivery.

“Digital was founded to accelerate BT’s transformation, innovation, and return to growth. To succeed, we need to bring in and upskill the top digital talent,” said Harmeen Mehta, chief digital and innovation officer at BT. “Our efforts will boost the tech communities in the UK and India along the way.”

BT is focusing on entry-level talent - apprentices, graduates, women returning back to work, and others starting their careers in digital platforms - who could make up as many as 400 of the planned headcount.

BT’s FY23 financial outlook remains unchanged as the incremental costs associated with these hiring plans are offset by a reduction in its reliance on subcontracted labour.

“We’re transforming the way BT engages with talent as we add to the type of people we want in the heart of this new business unit,” said Mark Murphy, director of HR, Digital. “New arrivals will be immediately contributing to the progressive, collaborative, transformative ‘Digital Way’ of our functioning,” he said.