Who Is Ashwini Bhide? All You Need To Know About Mumbai’s First Woman BMC Commissioner
Ashwini Bhide makes history as Mumbai’s first woman BMC commissioner.
Mumbai has gotten its first female commissioner in Ashwini Bhide, who was considered one of the top names in contention for the important post at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). An IAS officer with over 30 years of experience, Bhide’s appointment is significant, as she begins her journey after the current municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani retired on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Read more about her road to this historic posting and some of her major achievements below.
Meet Ashwini Bhide, The First Woman To Become BMC’s Municipal Commissioner
Ashwini Bhide became an IAS officer in 1995 and is known for her role in building Mumbai’s metro network, earning her the moniker “Metro Woman of Mumbai.” Initially posted in Kolhapur, she headed the Zilla Parishads of Nagpur and Sindhudurg, before holding important positions in the Governor’s office. Then, she moved to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), serving as the additional commissioner.
Later, she was responsible for pushing for the underground Aqua Line, aka Mumbai Metro Line 3. She has also been supervising further metro work as head of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC). As the first underground metro line in the city, it received loads of attention. Connecting one end of Mumbai (Colaba) to the other (SEEPZ), the Aqua Line’s construction required navigating various bureaucratic and land barriers.
She also had to deal with large-scale protests about the felling of trees in the Aarey Colony, due to the proposed car shed. This was due to its proximity to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, along with impacting the livelihood of Aarey residents. After delays due to a change in government halting this part of the metro, it restarted in 2022.
Previously, Ashwini Bhide was part of the Maharashtra chief minister’s office as additional chief secretary.
Enjoying the amazing connectivity provided by @MumbaiMetro3 between my two offices, one at CMO #Mantralaya and the other at #MMRCL office in #BKC. What a comfortable, swift, reliable and hassle-free travel which makes it easy for me to do justice to both responsibilities of mine. pic.twitter.com/YxL9LWHNcK
— Ashwini Bhide (@AshwiniBhide) November 26, 2025
Did Eknath Shinde Suggest Another Candidate Over Ashwini Bhide?
This is also the first time the BMC elections have been held after four years. Despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde having differences in opinion about Bhide’s appointment, the former seems to have won out in the end. It was considered a done deal anyway. Bhide’s years of experience in administrative capacities and high-stakes projects such as the Metro gave her the edge over Shinde’s choice of candidate, Aseem Gupta.
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First Published: March 31, 2026 4:18 PM
