Though pigeonpea is widely cultivated in some parts of India, their microbial symbionts have been poorly investigated for the fundamental and applied aspects. It was, therefore, found desirable to conduct a systematic and scientific investigation on native pigeonpea rhizobia from various cultivated fields of India in order to obtain a reliable understanding of the existing bradyrhizobial diversity in this region. Keeping in view, an attempt has been made to isolate and characterize pigeonpea- rhizobial strains to assess the symbiotic effectivity.