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The induction of host-defense in plants is a reliable approach for the management of diseases in crop plants. In the present study, biotic agents like Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma virens and neem leaf extract have been evaluated for their efficacy to induce resistance against blast disease of pearl millet caused by Magnaporthe grisea and promote growth. Seeds treated with P. fluorescens exhibited maximum seed germination of 83.50% and seedling vigor of 1447.93 followed by seed treatment with T. virens and neem leaf extract. Seeds treated with P. fluorescens showed improved vegetative and reproductive parameters compared with other biotic agents. Under greenhouse conditions, P. fluorescens offered maximum disease protection of 62.25% against blast disease followed by T. virens with 58.25%. It was also found that the activity of the defense-related enzymes like Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), Peroxidase (POX), Lipoxygenase (LOX) and β-1,3-glucanase was increased considerably in P. fluorescens treated and challenge inoculated seedlings thereby indicating that these defense enzymes play a pivotal role in induction of blast disease resistance in pearl millet. • Seed priming with biotic agents (P. fluorescens , T. virens and neem leaf extract) enhanced seed and plant growth parameters in pearl millet. • The biotic agents also induced resistance in pearl millet against M. grisea the causal agent of blast disease. • The disease protection studies were validated with increased activity of defense-related enzymes (PAL, POX, LOX and β-1,3-glucanse). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]