Background: Obstetric complications and maternal deaths following childbirth becomes a burden on many women and their families. Birth preparedness and complication readiness is a comprehensive package which aims at promoting timely access to skilled maternal and neonatal services. It focuses on the active preparation and decision making process in the delivery of pregnant ladies and their families. Objective: To assess birth preparedness and complication readiness among antenatal women in a tribal area, central zone Kerala. Methodology: This was a community based cross-sectional study carried out in a tribal area during January – June 2019 among 60 tribal antenatal women using a questionnaire based interview