Who Is Ashwini Bhide, And Why Is Everyone Thanking Her After Mumbai Metro Aqua Line's Opening?

Ashwini Bhide, the managing director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corp. and principal secretary to Devendra Fadnavis Chief Minister of Maharashtra, was widely felicitated by netizens. She was also singled out for praise by prominent industry figures such as Anand Mahindra on Thursday.

She was credited with having a notable role to play in the completion of Mumbai Metro Line 3 also known as the 'Aqua Line'. Bhide had spearheaded the construction of the line during its initial stages as managing director, in 2015, and saw its construction through until 2025, when it finally opened to the public.

"And a heartfelt thank you to @AshwiniBhide, whom I first met years ago when she was entrusted with the daunting task of building this line. Your vision, commitment, and perseverance have gifted something truly transformational to all Mumbaikars. You’re a role model in every sense," Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group, wrote in a post on X.

The project faced many concerns from citizens and interest groups, which had to be addressed in order for the project to proceed in most cases. There were also concern regarding how the metro body would thread the needle regarding the underground nature of the project, which would not gel well with the coastal city's geology and geography.

They had to tunnel near the coast and under heritage sites and railway corridors while using tunneling machines, segmented lining and waterproofing to provide for the city's high water table.

The most notable instance of opposition was when the body wanted to establish a metro carshed in Aarey Colony which was met with opposition from the tribal inhabitants, interest groups and activists due to the felling of trees that it would require.

The carshed was moved to Kanjurmarg when Uddhav Thakceray's Maha Vikas Aghadi Party took power in 2019, but this lead to delays over land ownership stalling the project. The project was resumed when the Mahayuti Alliance took power and moved the carshed back to Aarey Colony.

Bhide completed her education at Savitribai Phule Pune University after which she pursued civil services, becoming an Indian Administrative Services officer from the 1995 batch. Bhide also has a masters degree in business administration.

She was the Additional Metropolitan Commissioner from September 2008 to February 2014 and then transitioned to Secretary School Education and Sports from February 2014 to January 2015. After which she had a five year stint as managing director of Mumbai Metropolitan Corp. from 2015-2020. She was then Additional Municipal Commisioner from 2020-2025, and is now serving as the MD of Mumbai Metro Rail Corp. and principal secretary to Fadnavis in the present.