Two manganese nitrosyls, namely [Mn(SBPy3)(NO)](ClO4)2 (1) and [Mn(SBPy2Q)(NO)](ClO4)2 (2) have been synthesized by using designed pentadentate Schiff base ligands N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine-N-ethyl-2-pyridine-2-aldimine (SBPy3) and N,N-bis(2-pyridyl methyl)amine-N-ethyl-2-quinoline-2-aldimine (SBPy2Q). Reaction of NO(g) with [Mn(SBPy3)(MeOH)](ClO4)2 and [Mn(SBPy2Q)(EtOH)](ClO4)2 in MeCN affords 1 and 2 respectively in good yields. Narrow-width peaks in the 1H NMR spectra and strong νNO at 1773 cm-1 (of 1) and 1759 cm-1 (of 2) confirm a strongly-coupled {low-spin Mn(II)-NO• }formulation for both these {Mn-NO}6 nitrosyls. In MeCN, 1 exhibits two strong absorption bands with λmax at 500 and 720 nm. These bands red shifts to 550 and 785 nm in case of 2 due to substitution of the pyridyl-imine moiety of SBPy3 with quinolyl-imine moiety in the SBPy2Q ligand frame. Exposure of solutions 1 and 2 to near-infrared (NIR) light (780 nm, 5 mW) results in rapid bleaching of the orange and fuchsia solutions and free NO is detected in the solutions by an NO-sensitive electrode. The high quantum yield values (Φ) of 1 (0.580 ± 0.010, λirr = 550 nm, MeCN) and 2 (0.434 ± 0.010, λirr = 550 nm, MeCN) and in particular their sensitivity to NIR light of 800-950 nm range strongly suggest that these designed manganese nitrosyls could be used as NIR light-triggered NO donors.