Mumbai, March 31 Senior IAS officer Ashwini Bhide, who played a key role in developing Mumbai's metro rail network, became the first woman commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday. The BMC, established more than 150 years ago, is one of the oldest local self-governing bodies in India and is also the richest municipal corporation, with a budget of Rs 80,952.56 for the financial year 2026-27.
Bhide took over from senior bureaucrat and outgoing civic commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who retired on Tuesday, at a ceremony at the BMC headquarters in south Mumbai in the evening.
Bhide said her efforts would be focused on improving public transport safety for women commuters. She also stated that she would ensure that the city's nullah cleaning work is expedited before the monsoon season.
Before her current appointment, Bhide was the Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office and had been involved in many key infrastructure projects. She will also continue to hold the position of Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), where she was instrumental in expanding the city's metro network.
Bhide has over 31 years of administrative experience and has held several key positions in Maharashtra during her career. She has served as Chief Executive Officer of a Zilla Parishad, Additional Divisional Commissioner, Joint Secretary in the Maharashtra government, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), and Secretary of the School Education and Sports Department.
Bhide also served as Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) of the BMC from May 9, 2020 to March 19, 2024, and contributed significantly to the completion of the Mumbai Coastal Road (South) project.
She has received awards from various organizations for her notable work in different roles, officials said.