New Delhi: Indra Nooyi, the India-born former CEO of global beverage giant PepsiCo, is being considered for the new World Bank President by White House, a media report suggested. Leading American daily The New York Times said Nooyi has been “courted as an administration ally by Ivanka Trump, the president's eldest daughter who is playing a role in the selection of a nominee”.  Though, citing several people familiar with the process, the report also said that the decision-making process for the top post at the World Bank is in its initial stage and early front-runners and candidates often fall off the radar.

As per reports, the first daughter Ivanka, has floated the name of Nooyi as a potential successor. She tweeted that she views Nooyi as a mentor and as an inspiration.

Ivanka’s role in the process of choosing World Bank’s new president was announced by the White House on Monday. The NYT report said that the process is being overseen by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Ivanka.

However, it is still unclear whether Nooyi would accept the nomination if chosen by the Trump administration.

The 63-year-old ex-PepsiCo CEO stepped down in August last year after leading the company for 12 years. Nooyi was the first female CEO in the company's history. She was replaced by company’s President, Ramon Laguarta, will replace Nooyi, who was the first female CEO in the company's history.

Earlier this month, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, in an unexpected move, announced that he would step down from his post in February. His departure came nearly three years before the end of his term.

Ivanka’s role in the process drew criticism from ethics watchdogs on Monday, which said it could pose a conflict of interest for Trump’s daughter to be involved in international economic matters, when she was not completely divested from her assets, the NYT report said.

The report, however, also added that negative comments made by Nooyi after the 2016 election about Trump  can be a roadblock to her nomination. She had said at the NYT's DealBook conference in 2016 that "Our employees are all crying. And the question that they're asking, especially those who are not white: 'Are we safe?' Women are asking: 'Are we safe?' LGBT people are asking: 'Are we safe?' I never thought I'd have had to answer those questions". Later a spokesman for PepsiCo clarified that she “misspoke”.

The US president cannot install the World Bank leader, who must be approved by the bank's board, but has traditionally placed his nominee in the job, said the report.