Thousands of jobs are likely to be generated in the IT sector in West Bengal in the next few years, with key players like Infosys, Cognizant and Accenture playing a major role, state IT Minister Partha Chatterjee said here on Friday.

"Accenture will generate employment for 15,000, Infosys 50,00,00 and Cognizant 35,000," he said.

He said global technology and consultancy giant Accenture would start operations from December this year from the DLF building at Rajarhat on the northern outskirts of the metropolis.

Stating that the government was laying priority to develop the IT sector in creating more jobs, Chatterjee said that setting up a Knowledge Processing Outsourcing hub in Behala in the South was also being considered.

The state government would look for land at Chowrashta in Behala and if it was unavailable it could be allotted from state undertaking Webel's at the Taratala Industrial Estate, Chatterjee said at a programme at the Puspashree Co-operative Housing Society at Behala.

The minister said with the government focussing on faster and more inclusive growth on a sustainable basis to provide better opportunities for employment and income generation. The state has plans to develop 17 industrial clusters, he added.