The Maharashtra government on Friday appointed former IAS officer Deepak Kapoor as the vice chairman and managing director of the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC). Kapoor, a 1991-batch IAS officer, retired in April as additional chief secretary of the Water Resources Department. He has been appointed for a tenure of two years.
Role of MADC
MADC serves as the nodal state agency and initial planner for the proposed Vadhavan Airport in Palghar. It is driving the initial phases to establish this greenfield project as the third major airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Kapoor has previously headed the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), served as CEO of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), and held the same position at MADC in the past.
Change in Leadership
The post was previously held by Indian Postal Service officer Swati Pandey, who has now been made joint managing director citing 'administrative reasons'. MADC is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) established in 2002 by the state government to plan, construct, operate, and maintain airports and aviation infrastructure across the state. It plays a critical role in boosting regional air connectivity and managing major techno-economic industrial zones. The company is headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Post-Retirement Assignments
In recent times, several top bureaucrats have been given post-retirement assignments. However, former Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who retired on March 31 this year, has not been picked for any such posting so far. Gagrani, a prominent 1990-batch IAS officer, handled critical administrative and infrastructural bodies, including leading CIDCO and MIDC, and served as the principal secretary in the chief minister's office before being appointed BMC commissioner.
Key Projects
MADC is also the nodal agency implementing the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport (MIHAN) at Nagpur. The company floated the Request for Proposal (RFP) and officially commissioned the mandatory pre-feasibility study for the Vadhavan airport last year.
