Pneumonia is an important clinical condition which is commonly confronted both by a pulmonologist as well as a general practitioner. In spite of plethora of information on the subject, one often finds it difficult to make critical decisions. There are several evidence based guidelines to guide treatment decisions. However, there are Indian guidelines, which consider the differences in health-care organization, prescription habits of doctors, drug availability and Costs. Moreover, the clinical practice is different at different levels of health-care in the country. It was, therefore, considered important to frame evidence based, consensus guidelines for the physicians.