IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe, known for strict governance and frequent transfers, leads Maharashtra FDA’s major food safety enforcement drive.
Since taking charge, Mundhe’s FDA has intensified action against adulteration, banned tobacco products, and regulatory violations across Maharashtra.
The statewide crackdown targets milk adulteration, with stricter inspections, seizures and compliance measures across the dairy supply chain.
Tukaram Mundhe, a 2005-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, took charge as Commissioner of Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2026. Known for his uncompromising administrative style and frequent transfers, he has since launched one of the department's most extensive enforcement drives, targeting food adulteration, banned tobacco products and regulatory violations across the state.
Born on 3 June 1975 in Tadsonna village of Maharashtra's Beed district, Tukaram Mundhe was raised in a farming family and grew up amid financial hardship. He completed his schooling at a Zilla Parishad school before moving to Aurangabad, where he earned a bachelor's degree in History and a master's degree in Political Science.
Mundhe joined the Indian Administrative Service in 2005 after clearing the Union Public Service Commission examination, and was allotted the Maharashtra cadre.
His career has been marked as much by frequent transfers as by his uncompromising administrative style. In a little over two decades of service, he has reportedly been transferred 25 times.
Admirers regard the repeated postings as the consequence of his insistence on strict enforcement of rules, while detractors contend that his uncompromising approach has often brought him into conflict with the political and administrative establishment.
Throughout his career, Mundhe has cultivated a reputation for firm governance, emphasising transparency, accountability and swift action against irregularities, irrespective of political or commercial interests.
As NDTV reported, Mundhe's first month in office has been marked by an aggressive enforcement drive. Under his leadership, the Food and Drug Administration carried out 904 raids across Maharashtra, seizing banned gutkha and pan masala worth more than Rs 34.66 crore. The department has also indicated it may invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against organised gutkha syndicates.
The administration has expanded its focus beyond tobacco products. Hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries have been directed to provide customers with free drinking water, while hospitals have been warned against compelling patients to purchase medicines from affiliated pharmacies.
The FDA has also intensified action against food adulteration, targeting dairy products, mawa, edible oils and other food items. Online food delivery platforms and major food brands have likewise come under closer scrutiny for compliance with food safety norms.
According to the department, the statewide crackdown has resulted in the sealing of several establishments, the arrest of 457 people and the seizure of 42 vehicles linked to food safety violations and the illegal trade in banned products.
A state-wide crackdown on milk adulteration is underway in Maharashtra, with the FDA finding synthetic milk manufacturing units and food safety violations across the dairy supply chain.
The intensified enforcement drive began on May 25, when IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe took charge as the FDA commissioner. Soon after assuming office, he issued directives to strengthen food safety compliance across the entire milk ecosystem, bringing dairies, transporters, distributors, wholesalers and retailers under stricter regulatory scrutiny.
“Milk is not merely a food product; it is a nutritional foundation for millions of children, mothers, patients and senior citizens. Adulterating milk amounts to playing with public health. Such practices will not be tolerated in Maharashtra. We have seen a decrease in supply of milk and paneer since we started action,” Mundhe told India Today.
The crackdown has sent shockwaves through Maharashtra's dairy industry. Several videos circulating on social media have shown people allegedly dumping milk into drains, reportedly to avoid FDA inspections and enforcement action.
The drive has also targeted prominent businesses. In one of the most high-profile actions, the FDA suspended the licence of Mumbai's iconic ice cream parlour, K Rustom & Co., after a surprise inspection revealed serious hygiene lapses and food safety violations, including non-compliance with prescribed milk fat standards.
“We will continue our action on establishments not following Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. Citizens also should be aware about the norms and keep a close watch on hygiene standards,” Mundhe said.
The unprecedented scale of the enforcement campaign has also prompted questions about the level of regulatory oversight during the tenures of previous FDA commissioners.
However, Mundhe has declined to comment on comparisons with his predecessors, choosing instead to focus on the ongoing crackdown and strengthening compliance across the state's food sector.
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