By Mewati Sitaram
Senior IAS officer Sonia Sethi has been appointed as the full-time General Manager (GM) of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking. Known as a tough and result-oriented administrator, Sethi is expected to bring fresh direction to Mumbai’s bus service, which has long struggled with financial and operational challenges.
At 56, the 1994-batch officer became the first permanent head of BEST since Anil Diggikar’s transfer in December 2024, shortly after the Kurla bus accident that killed seven people and injured 40. In the interim, the role shifted between several senior officials, highlighting the instability at the helm.
Sethi previously served as Additional Chief Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation). Her new mandate includes stabilising BEST’s troubled finances, modernising its ageing fleet, and restoring public confidence. Vinita Ved-Singal has been appointed Principal Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation) in her place.
Over the past year, BEST’s leadership has been unsettled. Harshdeep Kamble was briefly appointed GM before his selection was rescinded, with the charge later passing through officials including Ashwini Joshi, S V R Srinivas, and Asheesh Sharma.
Financial liabilities remain the utility’s biggest hurdle, with its 2025–26 budget declaring cumulative dues of ₹9,286 crore. Yet, as Mumbai’s primary bus operator and lifeline for millions, BEST is also under pressure to expand services and adopt cleaner, electric buses.
Sethi’s appointment is being viewed as a decisive move to restore stability and chart a clear future for the organisation.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
