Objective: To study and compare the effectiveness of intravenous dexmedetomidine and esmolol in attenuating sympathomimetic response to direct laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation. Methods: 100 patients aged between 18 years to 50 years of either sex belonging to ASA class I and II with Mallampatti grading I and II posted for various elective surgeries under general anaesthesia were divided into two groups. Group D received dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg and group E received esmolol 2 mg/kg. Heart rate, blood pressure and ECG were recorded at baseline, after premedication, after induction, after intubation, 1,2,3,5 and 10min after intubation. Results: Heart rate and blood pressure at various intervals were noted and compared between the two groups. The attenuation of heart rate was more in dexmedetomidine group than the patients who received esmolol. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine is safe and more effective than Esmolol in attenuating the haemodynamic response to direct laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation in patients undergoing surgical procedures under general anaesthesia.