An actinobacterial strain was isolated from a sediment sample from Chorao Island, in Goa province, India, and subjected to a taxonomic investigation. The isolate, designated NIO-1021 T , was a Gram-stain positive, aerobic, non-motile and coccoid. Strain NIO-1021 T was identified as a member of the genus Kocuria by a polyphasic approach. Strain NIO-1021 T could be differentiated from other members of the genus Kocuria on the basis of physiology and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of strain NIO-1021 T to the most closely related species, Kocuria marina KCTC 9943 T , was 98.6 % with 19 nt differences). Furthermore, DNA-DNA hybridization analysis revealed that the novel strain had lower relatedness with the type strains of other members of the genus Kocuria. The strain formed a monophyletic clade with K. marina with 100 % bootstrap values. The major phospholipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and two unidentified lipids. The predominant menaquinone was MK-7(H 2 ). The major fatty acids were anteiso-C 15 : 0 , iso-C 16 : 0 and anteiso-C 17 : 0 . The DNA G+C content of strain NIO-1021 T was 60.5 mol%. Chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties of the strain were consistent with its classification as representing a member of the genus Kocuria. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotypic and molecular characteristics, strain NIO-1021 T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Kocuria, for which the name Kocuria indica sp. nov. is proposed, with strain NIO-1021 T (5NCIM 5455 T 5DSM 25126 T 5CCTCC AA 209050 T ) as the type strain.The genus Kocuria was first proposed by Stackebrandt et al. (1995) on the basis of a detailed phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic analysis of the genus Micrococcus (Stackebrandt et al., 1995). This led further to the description of the genera Dermacoccus, Kocuria, Kytococcus and Nesterenkonia. The genus Kocuria embraced three species formerly classified as members of the genus Micrococcus, i.e. Kocuria rosea (Micrococcus roseus; Flügge 1886), Kocuria varians (Micrococcus varians; Migula, 1900) and Kocuria kristinae (Micrococcus kristinae; Kloos et al., 1974). Based upon 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities the genus Kocuria represents one of the deepest lineages in the family Stackebrandt et al., 1995). The third clade includes only Kocuria palustris (Kovács et al., 1999). The last clade appears to be the deepest lineage in the family and comprises Kocuria atrinae (Park et al., 2010b) During an investigation exploring actinobacterial diversity in the marine environment of Chorao Island of Goa province, India, a coccoid actinobacterial strain was isolated and was subjected to a polyphasic investigation to determine its taxonomic position.Strain NIO-1021 T was isolated from a marine sediment sample taken from Chorao Island. After primary isolation and purification on marine agar 2216 (Difco) at 28 u C for 2 weeks, the purified strain was subcultured on the same medium and stored as slants at 4 u C and as 20 % (v/v) glycerol suspension...