In the present study, an objective and reproducible evaluation of mitotic activity and nuclear morphometric factors was attempted in 30 patients of oral squamous cell carcinoma with a view to predicting local relapse and survival. Various nuclear parameters and volume-corrected mitotic index were calculated and compared with the recurrence and death of the study group (n = 30). Volume-corrected mitotic index (M/V index) was the single best prognosticator for recurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (p = 0.008 for recurrence; p = 0.015 for death). The combination of M/V and SD of nuclear area (forward stepwise regression) was a more efficient and better predictor of survival (Log rank test, Kaplan-Meier's survival analysis; χ² = 17.46, p = 0.00001). The present study proved the effectiveness of the M/V index in predicting the biological behavior and the outcome of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.