Earlier studies have reported on the ability of Cryptococcus neoformans to synthesize melanin from tobacco extracts / nicotine incorporated in to the medium. However a study on the utilization of components in tobacco smoke by C. neoformans for melanin production was unreported. The present study reports on ability of C. neoformans for melanization using tobacco smoke and therefore substantiate the possible link between smoking and pathogenecity in clinical cryptococcal infections as reported by several researchers.