OBJECTIVES: The study evaluated predictors of willingness to quit smoking among cigarette smokers in India.  METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in a cohort of adults aged ≥18 years in India. The outcome variable, willingness to quit smoking was dichotomized. Independent variables included socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral and environmental determinants of smoking like past quit attempts, smoking status of peers and social pressure. SAS(9.2v) was used to determine frequencies and chi-square analyses followed by Fisher’s exact test and stepwise logistic regression to determine predictors of willingness to quit.  RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 456 smokers (response rate 41.3%) among which 253 (54%) were willing to quit smoking. Almost 60% of smokers willing to quit were males, 53.3% had a bachelor’s degree, 81.4% were married, 46.6% belonged to the >$10,000/yr-≤$20,000/yr income category and 43.8% to 30-39 years age category. More than 50% had non-smoking peers. Majority (88.8%) had very low addiction levels and 40% attempted to quit at least once in their lifetime.  Bivariate analysis indicated that age (p=0.002), education (p=0.009), siblings’ smoking status (p<0.0001), number of smoking friends (p<0.0001), age of initiation (p=0.03), past quit attempts (p<0.0001) and social pressure (p=0.006) were associated with willingness to quit. Fisher’s exact test demonstrated that past quit attempts of 3 (p<0.0001; OR=2.55; 95%CI=1.59-4.06) or ≥4 (p<0.0001; OR=33.14; 95%CI=7.87–139.63), close friends (p=0.002; OR=1.86; 95%CI=1.24-2.75), siblings being non-smokers (p<0.001; OR=3.05; 95%CI=2.07–4.45), and few smoking friends (p<0.001; OR=2.81; 95%CI=1.73–4.56) were predictors of willingness to quit. Logistic regression indicated that smokers aged 40-49 (p=0.02; OR=2.06; 95%CI=1.13-3.75), 50-59 years (p=0.02; OR=9.43; 95%CI=1.13-79.87), and faced with social pressure (p=0.02; OR=2.05; 95%CI=1.07-3.9) were willing to quit. CONCLUSIONS: Research on interventions targeting  smokers willing to quit such as those facing social pressure or older smokers, would prove beneficial for them to permanently quit smoking.