Ashwini Bhide has had an eventful stint as managing director of MMRCL, surmounting numerous technical, social and political challenges to lead Mumbai’s Aqua Line 3 Metro, Coastal Road and other major urban projects, demonstrating decisive and resilient civic leadership
MMRCL Managing Director Ashwini Bhide, who took charge as civic chief on Tuesday, enjoys a ride on the Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3 on November 26, 2025. PIC/X/@AshwiniBhide
Ashwini Bhide, 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, has been predominantly known for her zealous work on Mumbai's first underground Metro, the 33.5-km Aqua Line 3, while spearheading the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) as its managing director in two stints — since its inception in 2015 until 2020 and from July 2022 to date. She also headed the iconic Coastal Road project as additional municipal commissioner before returning as MD of the MMRCL.
Bhide continues to resolve issues on the Aqua Line 3, like last mile connectivity, lack of mobile signals underground and other challenges like service readiness, integration with buses and local transport. In January 2020, she and a few other IAS officers were transferred by the newly formed coalition government led by Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Though the transfer was tagged as routine, Bhide had been in a public spat with MLA Aaditya Thackeray over setting up a Metro car shed in Aarey Milk Colony.
AMC stint
After this, she was posted as additional municipal commissioner for four years and nine months from May 2020 to January 2025, where she was in charge of the iconic Coastal Road project, among other things. But from July 2022, she was again given additional charge as the MD of MMRCL. As additional municipal commissioner, along with Coastal Road, she also headed various departments and was also the head of BMC’s COVID-19 war room.
Her biggest controversy
There was a clash between development and environmental politics, with Bhide, as project head, pushing for a Metro car shed at Aarey, citing cost, feasibility, and urgency. Aaditya Thackeray, however, termed Aarey a vital green lung that needed protection. The issue escalated with activists expressing outrage, the initiation of court cases, and political implications. Bhide stated that Aarey was legally not a forest and that the Metro itself was an environmentally friendly project. Work was stopped by the Uddhav Thackeray government, and the shed was planned to be shifted to Kanjurmarg. However, by 2022, the new government under Eknath Shinde reversed the decision. All this, though, heavily delayed the project.
Metro challenges overcome
The Aqua Line 3 has been one of the most challenging projects that Bhide has been dealing with. She has said that “the most difficult challenge was dealing with people.” The line, being fully underground, passes through hard basalt rock, and 17 tunnel boring machines had to be pressed into service.
The project passes through highly congested areas like Kalbadevi and Girgaon, so large numbers of families had to be relocated and rehabilitated, amid stiff public opposition. The team had to secure multiple clearances and approvals from various agencies, which added to delays and complexities.
Tunnelling under the Mithi River and passing under heritage buildings on Dr DN Road was yet another challenge that required careful management and strict monitoring. During construction, the planned tunnel alignment of the metro passed deep under the Zoroastrian fire temples, and it became a cause for concern for the Parsi community, leading to a controversy and a court case.
The Metro team led by Bhide, then backed by scientific studies, assured the court that there would not be any structural damage and that there would be strict monitoring. The work was completed with utmost caution, with no damage following court orders.
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