Background & Aim: Direct laryngoscopy & Endotracheal intubation causes sympathetic response which is deleterious to patient. Various drugs are used to attenuate this response for better hemodynamic control. In this study, we aim to compare the efficacy of esmolol to that of mgso4 for attenuation of this response. Methods: After obtaining approval from institution ethics committee and informed written consent from the patients, 60 patients coming for elective surgeries under general anesthesia were randomly allocated into 2 groups, Group E (Esmolol 1mg/kg) and Group M (Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) 25mg /kg), with 30 patients in each group. Patients received drugs 5 min before intubation; HR, SBP, DBP and MAP were calculated at baseline, 0 min, 1 min, 3 min, 5 min and 10 min. Results: Baseline parameters were compared between 2 groups, which were statistically not significant. HR at 1 min (p=0.034) and 3 min (p=0.025) was statistically significant in favor of Group M. SBP, DBP and MAP were reduced better with Group E than Group M, but statistically not significant. Conclusion: MgSO4 reduces the sympathetic stimulation to laryngoscopy and intubation as effectively as Esmolol. MgSO4 also has the advantage of providing analgesia, reducing the dose of anesthetics, and provides better hemodynamic profile throughout intra-operative period.