India, March 31 -- Ashwini Bhide has been appointed as the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday, becoming the first woman to head the country's richest civic body. The 55-year-old IAS officer takes over as Bhushan Gagrani retires the same day.

Her appointment has drawn considerable attention, not only for its symbolic significance but also because it comes after civic elections held following a four-year gap, in which the BJP assumed power for the first time with support from the Shiv Sena.

A 1995-batch IAS officer, Ashwini Bhide is widely recognised in Mumbai's administrative and infrastructure circles as the "Metro Woman of Mumbai." The title stems from her role in driving the ambitious Mumbai Metro ...