Public service
Retired Assistant Municipal Commissioner, BMC
Served the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, including as Assistant Municipal Commissioner of 'B' Ward, covering Madanpura, Pydhonie, Abdul Rehman Street and Nagpada.
Udaykumar Shiroorkar
Turning experience into meaningful change.
Decades in Mumbai's civic administration. A story that became a feature film. Now a public voice for the environment and for communities, sharing what works.
Udaykumar Shiroorkar, retired Assistant Municipal Commissioner, BMC
- 01Retired Assistant Municipal Commissioner, BMC
- 02Advocate
- 03Environmental work
Experience. Responsibility. Impact.
Introduction
Udaykumar Shiroorkar spent his career inside one of the largest city administrations in the world. He now puts that experience to work for the environment and the communities who depend on it.
As Assistant Municipal Commissioner of the BMC's 'B' Ward, he took on unauthorised construction and reclaimed public space in some of Mumbai's densest neighbourhoods.
He is best known for something quieter. He pushed the ward's Class IV civic workers, many of them sweepers and manhole cleaners, to return to their studies. Twenty-three of them passed their SSC exams, years after leaving school.
Professional background
A public life, in three parts.
Administration taught him how cities work. Law taught him how to argue for change. The environment is where he puts both to use.
Advocacy
Advocate
Brings a legal professional's discipline to public questions: evidence first, then a clear argument. Presented here as background only.
Environment
Environmental work
Works on environmental protection and civic responsibility, and shares that work with a growing audience through Instagram Reels.
Environmental work
Work on the ground, explained in plain words.
Protecting green cover and public space, and helping people understand the civic systems that shape their surroundings.
See his environmental workEnvironmental protection
Hands-on work to protect green cover, clean public spaces and hold polluters to account.
Public awareness
Short, plain-spoken Reels that explain environmental and civic issues to a general audience.
Civic responsibility
Lessons from decades inside city administration on how citizens and institutions can act together.
Impact on the record
What changed, and who reported it.
Every figure here links to its source. We add new numbers only once they are documented.
- Class IV civic workers passed their SSC exams
- 23
- Years after leaving school, while working full time.
- Source: Free Press Journal, April 2025(opens in a new tab)
- more workers joined night classes after them
- 26
- Many had refused before out of shame.
- Source: Free Press Journal, April 2025(opens in a new tab)
- feature film based on his journey
- 1
- Ata Thambaycha Naay!, released 1 May 2025.
- Source: Wikipedia: Ata Thambaycha Naay!(opens in a new tab)
Reels
Short films from the field.
He shares his work, public issues and lessons from public service on Instagram as @udaykumarshiroorkar.
Media and film
From the ward to the screen.
The story of the civic workers he encouraged back to school became the Marathi feature film Ata Thambaycha Naay! (“Now we won't stop”), released on 1 May 2025. Ashutosh Gowariker plays him. The film won Best Film at the Filmfare Awards Marathi.
If we work with honesty and dedication, without fear, we can complete our mission.
Speaking and workshops
Invite him to your stage, school or society.
Talks and sessions built on real public service, for companies, colleges, schools and communities.
All topicsWork with us
Bring this experience to your organisation.
Invite Udaykumar to speak, run a workshop or work with you on an environmental project. Tell us what you have in mind and we will reply personally.