NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — Accenture Ltd., the world’s second- largest consulting firm, plans to double its management consultant workforce as it gets more contracts in countries such as India, China and Brazil.Almost 13,000 consultants will be added to the existing 13,000 over the next three years in countries that also include the US, UK and Germany, Bermuda-based Accenture said yesterday in a statement. The company employs 146,000 people worldwide.

Accenture is taking on business from companies that need help managing customer relations, finances and supplies as they expand overseas, chief executive officer William Green said in the statement.

The company is increasing its staffing in India to 35,000 by the summer to tap that nation’s low-cost workforce for outsourcing jobs.

Shares of Accenture rose 47 cents to $35.73 at 1.45 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They had gained 11 percent this past year before yesterday.