Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city...

min read

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city will get a ‘Hindu Marathi’ person to head India’s richest civic body, while the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena also harbour fond hopes of a miracle that could ensure their own person for the post. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) optimism stems from expectations of possible political permutations-combinations that could develop with a realignment of forces as the Supreme Court is hearing the cases involving the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party this week. Catapulted as the largest single party, the BJP hopes to install a first ever party-man as Mayor, but that may not create history. Way back in 1982-1983, a BJP leader Dr. Prabhakar Pai had served in the top post in Mumbai (then Bombay). Incidentally, Dr. Pai hailed from Udupi district of Karnataka, and his appointment came barely a couple of years after the BJP was formed (1980), capping a distinguished career as a city father, said experts. Originally a Congressman, Dr. Pai later shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party, then back to Congress briefly, founded the Janata Seva Sangh before immersing himself in social activities. Second Administrator The 2026 Mayoral elections have evoked huge interest not only among Mumbaikars but across the country as it comes after nearly four years since the BMC was governed by an Administrator. This was only the second time in the BMC history that an Administrator was named after April 1984-May 1985. On both occasions, there were election-related issues, the first time the elections got delayed for certain reasons and the second time the polling was put off owing to Ward delimitations and OBC quotas as the matter was pending in the courts. From 1931 till 2022, Mumbai has been lorded over by 76 Mayors, men and women, hailing from various regions, backgrounds, castes and communities. They included Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, even a Jew, etc., truly reflecting the cosmopolitan personality of the coastal city and India’s financial powerhouse. In 1931-1932, the Mayor was a Parsi, J. B. Boman Behram, and others from his community followed like Khurshed Framji Nariman (after whom Nariman Point is named), E. A. Bandukwala, Minoo Masani, B. N. Karanjia and other bigwigs. There were Muslims like Hoosenally Rahimtoola, Sultan M. Chinoy, the legendary Yusuf Meherally, Dr. A. U. Memon and others. The Christian community got a fair share of Mayors with Joseph A. D’Souza – who was Member of Constituent Assembly representing Bombay Province for writing-approving the Constitution of India, M. U. Mascarenhas, P. A. Dias, Simon C. Fernandes, J. Leon D’Souza, et al. A Jew Elijah Moses (1937-1938) and a Sikh M. H. Bedi (1983-1984), served as Mayors, but post-1985, for the past 40 years, nobody from any minority community occupied the august post. During the silver jubilee year of the post, Sulochana M. Modi became the first woman Mayor of Mumbai (1956), and later with tweaks in the rules, many women ruled in this post – Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar (1994-1995), Vishakha Raut (997-1998), Dr. Shubha Raul (March 2007-Nov. 2009), Shraddha Jadhav (Dec. 2009-March 2012), Snehal Ambedkar (Sep. 2014-March 2017). The last incumbent (before the Administrator) was a government nurse, Kishori Pednekar (Nov. 2019-March 2022) - who earned the sobriquet of ‘Florence Nightingale’ of Mumbai - as she flitted around in her full white uniform at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, earning the admiration of the citizens. Mumbai Mayor – high-profile post The Mumbai Mayor’s post is considered a crucial step in the political ladder and many went on to become MLAs, MPs, state-central ministers, a Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Ministers and union ministers. The formidable S. K. Patil was Mayor (1949-1952) and later served in the union cabinets of PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Lah Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi; Dahyabhai V. Patel (1954-1955) was the son of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; Manohar Joshi (1976-1977) became the CM of Maharashtra, later union minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha; Chhagan Bhujbal (1985-1986 – 1990-1991) became a Deputy CM.

Good Work Isn’t Enough

Divyaa Advaani
Jun 6, 2025
3 min read

Sales. The one word that sends shivers down the spine of even the most skilled professionals. You could be a phenomenal designer, a genius strategist, or a brilliant consultant—but when it comes to selling yourself or your services, suddenly the confidence evaporates. Sound familiar? You're not alone.

Many entrepreneurs and professionals struggle with the idea of self-promotion. It feels pushy, salesy, and sometimes even uncomfortable. And yet, no matter how great your product or service is, if you can’t sell it — or more importantly, if people don’t see it—your business won’t grow. That’s where personal branding becomes your best friend, your secret weapon, and your silent salesperson.

We often assume that good work will automatically bring in more work. To an extent, that’s true. Referrals and word-of-mouth can do wonders when you’ve consistently delivered excellence. But in today’s noisy digital world, relying only on referrals is like hoping someone passes your resume to the hiring manager instead of you emailing it directly. It might work. But it might not.

Personal branding is the bridge between your expertise and your income. It's what turns a name into a known name, a service into a sought-after experience, and a skill into a story people remember. Think about the brands you love — Apple, Nike, Tata. Their products are good, sure. But it's their branding that keeps them on top. People don’t just buy products — they buy into a story, a belief, a personality. The same goes for individuals.

When you brand yourself with clarity, consistency, and confidence, you attract clients without begging for their attention. You position yourself as a leader in your space. People come to you because they already feel like they know, trust, and respect you — even before they’ve worked with you. That’s not luck. That’s strategy.

Here's the good news. You don’t need to scream to sell. You just need to show up with intention. Personal branding doesn’t mean being everywhere. It means being where it matters, saying what matters, and doing it in a way that’s aligned with who you are. And when that alignment happens — clients don’t just buy from you. They remember you. They refer you. They return to you.

Too many people shy away from showing their face, their process, or their success because they don’t want to seem boastful. But here’s the truth: staying invisible doesn’t serve you or the people you’re meant to help. There’s someone right now struggling with something you’ve already solved — but they don’t know you exist. That’s not humility. That’s a missed opportunity.

It’s time to stop hiding and start owning your expertise. You don’t need to be a loud extrovert. You just need to be visible and valuable. That’s what great personal branding does — it transforms your business from one that chases leads to one that magnetically attracts the right ones.

And if you’re someone who’s genuinely excellent at what you do but find it difficult to talk about yourself or your work, I get it. That’s exactly why I do what I do. I help business owners and professionals like you build powerful personal brands that speak even when you’re not in the room. Brands that 5x your revenue without compromising your authenticity.

Here’s the exciting part: I’m currently onboarding only 2 high-end clients before the month ends. If you’re ready to finally stop hoping for business and start attracting it—this is your sign.

Let’s craft a personal brand that makes your sales effortless and your success inevitable.

Connect with me over:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/divyaaadvaani

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suaveu6

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@suaveu

(The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)