Ease of doing business: Possible for India to reach top 50 in the World Bank's ranking, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said it is "possible" for the country to reach top 50 in the World Bank's Doing Business ranking in the next few years.

"The fresh ranking will reflect that it is possible for us to reach that position of 50, not immediately, in the next few years," Sitharaman said in a Facebook interaction on completion of two years of the NDA government.

India now ranks 130 out of 189 countries in the ease of doing business, moving up 12 places from 2014, according to the latest World Bank's Doing Business report.

Asked about reports claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was an "autocratic leader", Sitharaman described him as a "professional governing leader" and "certainly not an autocrat".

On the controversy in Jawaharlal Nehru University where some students allegedly raised anti-national slogans, Sitharaman, who is an alumni of the educational institute, said she "felt sad at the developments".

"You are celebrating a cause on a day remembering Afzal Guru who was hanged for attacking Indian Parliament. You want to commemorate the day when the man who attacked our Parliament was hanged?" the Minister said, adding that the JNU students union (JNUSU) should have an introspection session.

Sitharaman gave 9 out of 10 to Modi Government's performance for the first two years, and said that big schemes being launched are keeping ordinary citizens at the core.