Ashwini Bhide Named First Woman BMC Commissioner
31 Mar 2026 CW Team
Ashwini Bhide has been appointed as the first woman commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), following the retirement of Bhushan Gagrani on March 31. It is worth noting that Bhide was honoured as the Construction World Person of the Year 2025 at the 23rd CONSTRUCTION WORLD Global Awards (CWGA) 2025, held on September 3 at Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, for her contributions to urban infrastructure and public service.
Also read: Fireside chat with Ashwini Bhide
A 1995-batch IAS officer, Bhide is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office. She has previously led several key infrastructure projects.
She is widely recognised for her tenure as Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL), where she played a pivotal role in expanding the metro network. Her leadership during the Aarey car shed project also drew attention amid environmental concerns over tree cutting.
She is expected to serve a full term until 2030. Other names considered for the role included Sanjay Mukherjee, Aseem Gupta and Milind Mhaiskar, with the final decision favouring Bhide.