Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Ashwini Bhide has been named the new Municipal Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), according to NDTV. With this move, one of the world's wealthiest civic bodies will now be led by a woman. Bhide is also known as the ‘Metro Woman' for her work on the Mumbai Metro.
The Maharashtra government's decision is being viewed as a strategic choice, given Bhide's extensive administrative track record and reputation for discipline. She will assume office following the completion of incumbent Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani's term on March 31.
Significant political deliberations preceded the selection of the next Mumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had advocated for Asim Gupta, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remained steadfast in his support for Ashwini Bhide. A consensus was eventually reached during a meeting on Monday, confirming Bhide for the post.
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Who Is Ashwini Bhide?
An IAS officer from the 1995 Maharashtra cadre, Bhide began her administrative career in Kolhapur, where she worked as Assistant District Collector from 1997 to 1999. She was later appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Sindhudurg District Council. She has also served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad in Nagpur.
As per her LinkedIn profile, she was the Additional Metropolitan Commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) from 2008 to 2014 and Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MMRCL) from 2015 to 2020.
She served as the Additional Municipal Commissioner of the BMC from 2020 to 2025 and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2024 to 2025. She is currently the Additional Chief Secretary to the Maharashtra CM.
In 2015, Ashwini Bhide was entrusted with overseeing the Mumbai Metro Line 3 project. Appointed as Managing Director of the MMRCL, she went on to earn widespread recognition as the city's ‘Metro Woman'. She played a pivotal role in advancing the Aqua Line's development.
Her track record of executing large-scale infrastructure projects on schedule has strengthened her standing in government circles. She is widely regarded as a trusted aide of CM Devendra Fadnavis.
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