Rust caused by Puccinia substriata Ell. and Barth.var. indica Ramachar and Cummins is one of the major diseases affecting both forage and grain production in pearl millet. Presently its severity up to 70 per cent has been reported  in northern dry zone of Karnataka. An attempt was made to evaluate fungicides, commercially available botanicals and indigenous technology knowledge (ITK’s) under in vitro by “cavity slide” method. Further based on results of in vitro studies, a spray schedule was developed involving cost effective fungicides, botanicals and ITK’s. Hexaconazole, propiconazole and triadimefon among systemic fungicides at 0.075 and 0.1 per cent, mancozeb and chlorothalonil among non systemic fungicides at 0.1 and 0.2 per cent, neem oil and soldier among commercially available botanicals at 0.75 and 1.00 per cent, cow urine and cow milk among ITK’s at 20 and 30 per cent concentrations inhibited maximum uredospore germination of P.substriata var. indica. Among the different spray schedules evaluated under field condition, hexaconazole @ 0.1% followed by hexaconazole @ 0.1 %  spray schedule recorded least rust severity (15.30%), highest seed yield (30.50 q ha-1 ) and 1000 seed weight (10.51 g) with highest benefit : cost ratio of 2.40.