Background and objectives: To compare the analgesic efficacy, motor blocking property and the effect on various labour outcomes of ropivacaine with bupivacaine when used in epidural labour analgesia Methodology: Seventy ASA I&II parturients with singleton pregnancies who presented in active labour with cervical dilatation of 3-5cm were studied in a prospective, randomized control manner. Patients were randomized into Group A (ropivacaine)-35 patients and Group B (bupivacaine) - 35 patients. Epidural analgesia was performed with an 18G Tuohy needle and a 20G epidural catheter was placed in the best interlumbar space between L1 and L4. Various parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, pain score) and complications if any were recorded every 15 minutes in the 1sthour, every 30 minutes in the 2ndhour and every hour later on.