'Metro Woman' Ashwini Bhide Becomes First Lady Commissioner Of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
Bhide is an officer of the 1995 batch of the IAS. She took charge from Bhushan Gagrani, who has superannuated.
Published : March 31, 2026 at 4:38 PM IST
|Updated : March 31, 2026 at 8:59 PM IST
Mumbai: IAS officer Ashwini Bhide, known as the 'Metro Woman', has been appointed as the Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). She is the first woman to be appointed as the head of the richest municipal corporation in Asia.
The announcement regarding this was made on Tuesday. Just a few days ago, she had been appointed as the Principal Secretary to the Maharashtra Chief Minister. Bhide will now head the BMC and will serve a full three-year tenure before her retirement in 2030.
Bhide is a native of the Sangli district. She is an officer of the 1995-batch of the Indian Administrative Services. She has nearly 25 years of administrative experience. Her husband, Dr Satish Bhide, is an IPS officer. She has carved a distinct identity for herself as the 'Mumbai Metro Woman.'
She took charge from Bhushan Gagrani, who has superannuated. At the beginning of her career, she worked in Nagpur and Sindhudurg. From 2004 to 2008, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nagpur Zilla Parishad. Subsequently, she was appointed to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
During her tenure at the MMRDA, she oversaw projects such as the Eastern Freeway, the Milan Subway Flyover, the Mumbai Skywalk, and the Mithi River Clean-up Project. Although these projects necessitated the large-scale relocation of citizens, she executed the task with sensitivity.
In 2015, she was appointed to a key position within the Mumbai Metro project. A major controversy erupted regarding the Aarey car shed for the Metro-3 project due to stiff opposition by environmentalists and many concerned citizens against the felling of trees. Bhide took a firm stand in support of the project, and consequently, she garnered significant public ire.
Following the change of government in 2019, she was transferred to a side posting. However, after Devendra Fadnavis came back to power in 2024, she was subsequently reappointed as an Additional Commissioner in the BMC. During this tenure, she worked on crucial projects like the Coastal Road.
In 2022, after the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government came to power, the Metro car shed project was restarted, and Bhide spearheaded the rapid advancement of the Metro work. It is precisely for this reason that she earned the moniker 'Metro Woman.'
Over the past few years, the imprint of Bhide has been seen in every major infrastructure project undertaken in Mumbai. She has played a pivotal role in projects such as the Monorail, the Eastern Freeway, the first underground Metro line, and the Coastal Road. Overall, Bhide is regarded as a pivotal figure in Mumbai's development, as she is credited with a proven ability to successfully execute large-scale and challenging projects, her decisive decision-making style, and her extensive experience in administration.
Speculation was rife regarding a rift between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over Ashwini Bhide's appointment as the BMC Commissioner. As Bhide was Fadnavis's preferred choice, Shinde was reportedly displeased and had instead insisted on the appointment of his own secretary, Asim Gupta. Late at night—after rumours began circulating that Ashwini Bhide's name was finalised, Shinde telephoned Fadnavis to hold a discussion. Subsequently, later that same night, Ashwini Bhide also met with Eknath Shinde. This resulted in appointing Bhide as the first lady commissioner.
After taking charge, she assured that no flood situation would arise in Mumbai this year.
"Mumbai will not get waterlogged this year," Bhide told reporters.
"Having served as an Additional Commissioner of BMC, I am well-acquainted with my colleagues here. Therefore, with everyone's cooperation, I am confident that I will be able to do excellent work for the city," she said.
She added that her four-year tenure as an Additional Commissioner at the BMC included the crucial period of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing her with valuable experience.
"I am being congratulated for becoming the first woman to hold the post of Commissioner. Since Mumbai is a safe city for women, a large number of women here are employed in the workforce. I will work towards further enhancing this safety," she quipped.
"The BMC has always carried out drain-cleaning operations efficiently. Over the past few years, the civic body has also been actively engaged in initiatives to build flood resilience within the city. We will strive to replicate that same high standard of work this year as well. I give my firm assurance that Mumbai will certainly not get waterlogged this year," she maintained.
Read More
