Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are one of the commonly prescribed groups of drugs worldwide and are highly effective as analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agents. However, their use is also associated with adverse events such as gastro duodenal ulceration and gastro intestinal bleeding. There is always a great need to develop COX-2 specific inhibitors to avoid the side effects. The present report contains a brief introduction to inflammation, biosynthesis of prostaglandins with emphasis on the enzymes COX-1 and COX-2. The main focus is on the literature survey of indan derivatives and experimental work carried out in the laboratory in an attempt to develop newer and less ulcerogenic NSAIDs.