Mumbai’s next power face: Who is Ashwini Bhide? IAS officer takes charge as first woman head of India’s richest civic body

Soon after assuming charge, Bhide outlined her priorities, placing infrastructure and civic services at the centre of her agenda. “It is a matter of pride for me to head the 150-year-old municipal corporation. My top priority will be pushing ongoing infrastructure projects to ensure they meet their deadlines and give a boost to the transit system. In addition to this, I will also work towards upscaling necessary civic amenity services,” she told mediapersons.

On her historic appointment, Bhide said being a woman in leadership does not require proving anything extra, while acknowledging that such opportunities were limited for women in the past. She added that special initiatives for working women in the city would be taken up.

Bhide has worked previously in the BMC as additional municipal commissioner between 2020 and 2023. One of the primary takeaways from her past stint was, she was instrumental in spearheading the 10.58-km-long Mumbai Coastal Road project that connected Marine Drive with Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

Meanwhile, with monsoon set to arrive in the next three months, Bhide also spoke about the issue of drainage cleaning, stating that it is a recurring concern every year and assured that it will be reviewed thoroughly to ensure more effective implementation and better services for citizens.

Her appointment comes at a crucial juncture, with the BMC facing financial pressures even as Mumbai undergoes rapid infrastructure expansion.

Bhide’s administrative career began in Kolhapur as Assistant Collector in the late 1990s. Hailing from Sangli district and a student of English literature, she went on to serve as CEO of zilla parishads in Sindhudurg and Nagpur, and later held positions including Deputy Secretary to the Maharashtra Governor and Secretary of School Education and Sports. During her early years in Nagpur, her tenure overlapped with Fadnavis’s rise in local politics as corporator and Mayor.

Her long association with Mumbai’s urban transformation began in 2008, when she was appointed Joint Metropolitan Commissioner at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). During this period, she played a key role in executing several major infrastructure projects, including the Eastern Freeway, Milan subway flyover, the city’s skywalk network and the Mithi river clean-up. Known for her hands-on approach, she also handled sensitive issues such as rehabilitation of project-affected persons and removal of encroachments, often engaging directly with citizens to minimise resistance.

In 2015, Bhide was appointed Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), a joint venture of the state and central governments. She was tasked with executing the ambitious 33.5-km fully underground Metro Line 3 connecting Colaba to SEEPZ—one of the most complex infrastructure projects in the country.

However, her tenure at MMRCL was also marked by controversy. Bhide became the face of the contentious Aarey car shed project, strongly defending the decision to locate the metro depot in Aarey despite environmental concerns. The proposed felling of over 2,000 trees triggered widespread protests from environmental groups and political opposition, particularly from the then undivided Shiv Sena led by leaders such as Aaditya Thackeray. Bhide actively engaged with critics through media interactions and social media, arguing for the project’s necessity and timelines, a stance that drew both praise for decisiveness and criticism for rigidity.

Following the change in government in 2019, when the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition came to power under Uddhav Thackeray, Bhide was removed as Managing Director of MMRCL—widely seen as a fallout of the Aarey controversy.

She returned to the BMC during the Covid-19 pandemic, where she was entrusted with key coordination responsibilities and later appointed Additional Commissioner in May 2020. During this period, she also handled the Coastal Road project, steering it through execution challenges.

After the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Shinde-Fadnavis dispensation reinstated the Aarey car shed decision and brought Bhide back into the metro project. She pushed the work at pace, overseeing critical progress including the completion of the first phase of the underground corridor ahead of the Assembly elections, further reinforcing her reputation as a results-driven officer.

In December 2024, following Fadnavis’s return as Chief Minister, Bhide was appointed Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, a role that underscored the trust reposed by Fadnavis in her administrative abilities. She also held the post of Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL/MMRC).

Her elevation to the top post in the BMC comes at a crucial juncture. The civic body is grappling with financial stress even as Mumbai undergoes rapid infrastructure expansion.

Bureaucratic reshuffle

Bhide’s appointment as BMC chief was part of a wider bureaucratic reshuffle ordered by the state government on March 31, triggering a series of key postings across departments. Lokesh Chandra was moved in as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, replacing Bhide. The rejig also saw Vikas Chandra Rastogi shifted to the Finance Department as Additional Chief Secretary (Financial Reforms), while Vinita Vaid Singal was posted as Principal Secretary, Soil and Water Conservation. In the agriculture and disaster management wings, Parimal Singh was appointed Secretary (Agriculture) and Tukaram Mundhe moved to head Disaster Management. Among other changes, Lahu Mali was named Managing Director of Shivshahi Punarvasan Project Ltd, Manik Gursal took charge as Secretary, Divyang Kalyan, Prerna Deshbhratar was appointed Fisheries Commissioner, and Prithviraj B P posted as Municipal Commissioner of Vasai-Virar.