Corneal pathologies due to limbal stem cell deficiency or trauma is a common occurrence with high incidence in the modern era. Absence of native limbal stem cells in these cases can even result in blindness unless treated. Identifying alternate autologous stem cells with potential to replace limbal stem cells, gain its significance especially in cases of bilateral limbal damage. Here we look at the suitability of proposing bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells as an alternate to limbal stem cells. This work had made use of the corneo -limbal cues for trans differentiating these mesodermal cells to corneal epithelial lineage. Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from rabbit bone marrow and the culture conditions were optimized. Characterized mesenchymal stem cells were transdifferentiated by simulating limbal niche using extracellular matrix and limbal fibroblast conditioned medium. The differentiation to corneal lineage was evaluated by analyzing the expression of mesenchymal (ABCG2, CD29) and corneal epithelial (CK3/12) markers. Cells cultured in the presence of conditioned medium alone and with conditioned medium/ extracellular matrix showed the expression of CK3/12. CK3/12 expressing cells in these cultures were increasing, with a concomitant decrease in stem cell marker expression. Trans differentiating mesenchymal stem cells to corneal epithelial like cells will provide a useful, autologous source of adult stem cells in therapeutic approaches for patients suffering from bilateral limbal stem cell deficiency.