Context: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Mostly, patients present in the locally advanced stage. Induction chemotherapy has been repeatedly associated with tumour shrinkage and decreased risk of distant metastases. Unfortunately, improvement in overall survival with induction chemotherapy, over standard treatment approaches, has not been definitively demonstrated. Aims: 1. To determine the local control rates with induction chemotherapy regimens 2. To evaluate the effect on Disease Free Survival with induction chemotherapy upto a period of two years 3. To determine the frequency and severity of toxicities with induction chemotherapy Settings and Design: Single institution retrospective observational study in a tertiary care hospital. Methods and Material: 50 patients of HNSCC, who had first attended the outpatient department in 2014 and had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), were selected. Patient characteristics, indications and details of NACT, mode of treatment received and final outcome were noted from case record files of the patients. Statistical analysis used: IBM SPSS version 23. Results: Male preponderance. Commonest occurrence in the sixth decade. Commonest subsite – pyriform sinus. 24% patients were referred for surgery but only 4 % actually underwent surgery. In 84% cases, taxane–based regimens used. Commonest indication for NACT – to bridge the long waiting time for definitive treatment. 8% grade three toxicities noted, commonest being vomiting. After a median follow up of 1.5 years, 52% patients were disease free. 14% patients had recurrence, maximum in the pyriform sinus. Conclusions: Patients responding well to NACT were mostly disease free after treatment completion, had survival benefit. Taxane–based regimen showed survival advantage, good disease control with organ preservation