Infosys opens new development centre in Kolkata, to create 4k jobs

India’s second-largest IT services firm Infosys on Wednesday announced that it has invested ₹426 crore in its new development centre in Kolkata, spanning 320,000 square feet. The facility will house 4,000 employees, focusing on cloud, AI, and digital technologies. It incorporates energy-efficient features and amenities like flexible workstations and wellness centres. The investment aims to boost West Bengal's IT sector and create employment opportunities.

Jayesh Sanghrajka, Chief Financial Officer, Infosys, said in a statement, "The development centre will not only drive business growth but also contribute towards enhancing the IT landscape in the state. By leveraging our rich talent pool in West Bengal, we aim to deliver cutting-edge solutions to our clients globally.”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that a new Silicon Valley is coming to New Town on 200 acres involving a ₹27,000 crore investment and has the potential to create 75,000 IT jobs. Twenty-eight companies have reportedly started work and 40 other companies have already taken land. Out of these, 11 are setting up data centres.

To be sure, West Bengal has set up 22 IT parks, and almost 85% of the facilities have already been taken up, she said. Banerjee also said that plans are afoot for setting up a semiconductor production facility in the state.

The state reportedly has about 45,000 engineering entry seats in all the universities put together, and this year 24,000 engineering professionals graduated, many of them trained in disciplines like AI and machine learning.

“With a strong focus on fostering talent and community collaboration, we are confident that this development centre will significantly advance innovation across the region, create employment opportunities, and position West Bengal as a hub for IT excellence in India,” the Infosys statement quoting Banerjee said.

According to the Department of Information Technology and Electronics, Kolkata’s IT sector is growing at a rate of 70% annually, supported by several state initiatives to promote the industry. Bengal government has established the West Bengal Information Technology Services (WBITES) and the West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation (Webel) to attract investments in the sector and has recently announced plans to introduce a semiconductor policy before the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) held earlier this month to attract foreign investors to the state’s IT industry.