IT services major on Wednesday said it will triple its headcount in Germany by hiring over 1,000 people over the next three years with an aim to expand its operations in the key European nation.

According to industry estimates Germany's IT market size stood at around $80 billion last year.

"Wipro plans to triple its employee strength in Germany over the next three years, by hiring over 1,000 professionals," the company said in a release.

At present, the Bangalore-headquartered firm has over 500 employees in Germany, which serve more than 30 clients. It has 145,000 employees across 98 countries as on March 31, 2013.

Its customers in Germany include a global automotive company, an European utilities major and one of the largest telecom companies in the country, among others, Wipro said.

"Wipro expects to see significant traction in the retail, automotive, telecom, healthcare, banking and energy and utilities sectors in Germany in the years to come," it added.

To drive stronger incremental growth in the future, Wipro is looking to address the requirements of medium-sized enterprises in the region, in addition to its existing focus on large global enterprises, it said.

The company has a three-pronged strategy for Germany. "We are making investments in building strong domain knowledge in key growth verticals and are hiring local talent with strong delivery and program management capabilities," Wipro Chief Sales and Operations Officer (Growth Markets) Rajat Mathur said.

PTI