Dengue is one of the leading arboviral diseases in the world. During the recent years the epidemiology of dengue has undergone significant changes with more frequent epidemics and spread to non endemic areas. Many reports have shown that the reported cases of dengue are a gross underestimate of the actual number of incident cases. Inadequate infrastructure for surveillance is one of the main causes of this underestimation. This also leads to inadequate and delayed response during the time of epidemics. This review looks at the status of sentinel surveillance in India. It is found that the average number of sentinel sites is only 1 per 5 lakh persons in least populous states and 1 per 25 lakhs in most populous states. This review advocates for strengthening the sentinel surveillance system by increasing the number of sites of surveillance, building capacity of personnel and close monitoring and evaluation of the surveillance sites.