The essential processes of plants, including photosynthesis, seed germination, seedling growth, and other physiological processes, may be harmed by traces of heavy metals. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of cadmium stress on growth, and its effect on activities of antioxidant enzymes of Jatropha curcas L. The J. curcas plants were cultivated at open fields at Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research, Haldwani. J. curcas strain DARL-2 were exposed to cadmium (Cd) stress concentrations at 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 80, 100, 150, 200 and 300 mg/kg. Both control and treated pots were watered with deionized water at regular interval. All experimental pots were conducted under aseptic condition equipped with cold fluorescent light (350 μmol m-2 s-1) with adjusted photoperiod of 12/12 h (day/night) at 500 mg L-1 CO2 and 70.00 2.00 % RH. Results revealed that leaf growth parameters viz. opening of cotyledonary leaves, emergence of true leaf, andspecific leaf area (cm2/g-1) were decreased non-significantly (p>0.05) as with the increasing concentrations of cadmium. Whereas, the leaf area (cm2) was increased non-significantly at 20 mg/kg (82.09 cm2), 40 mg/kg (98.67 cm2), and 50 mg/kg (101.62 cm2), concentrations as to compared control (79.04 cm2). The antioxidant enzyme activities viz. super oxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), malondialdehyde (MDA), and catalase in J. curcas leaves subjected to cadmium stress increased with increasing concentrations of cadmium. Furthermore, increasing activities of antioxidant enzymes were directly proportional to increasing concentrations of cadmium. In conclusion, leaf growth parameters of J. curcas were affected up to cadmium concentration of 300 mg/kg. The increasing cadmium concentrations initiate gradual and proportional changes in the determined stress indicator parameters. Our study outcome would certainly be useful to find strategies to alleviate J. curcas from heavy metal stress and also to explore and enhance its phytoremediation potential.