This is an attempt to understand the magnitude of cancer problem in India. The incidence data generated by the three population based cancer registries at Bangalore, Bombay and Madras and the population projections of country have been utilised for estimating the present and future load of new cancer cases. It is estimated that the total number of incident cases in males increased from 0.29 million to 0.43 million by the turn of the century as a result of change in size and composition of population and when adjusted for tobacco habits the estimates increased to 0.49 million. In females the incident cases of cancer for three registries increased from 0.32 to 0.42 million by 2001, with cancer of uterine cervix and breast being the major problems. The above results show an urgent need for strengthening and augmenting the existing diagnostic/treatment facilities which are vow fully inadequate to tackle even the present load.