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Drought is one of the major factors limiting crop production in an arid environment. The exogenous application of osmoprotectants has been found effective in reducing the adverse effects of drought stress on plant growth. A field experiment was conducted to quantify the interactive effects of water stress and exogenously applied salicylic acid, glycinebetaine and proline on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (cv MNH-886). The treatments included [(a) two watering regimes (well-watered 2689 m(3) water; drought stressed 2078 m(3) water) and (b) three osmoprotectants (untreated check; spray of 0.1% Tween-80 solution; salicylic acid 100 mgL(-1), proline 100 mgL(-1), glycinebetaine 100 mgL(-1)] and arranged in a split-plot design with four replications. The water stress was imposed at day 45 after sowing i.e. at the flowering stage. The chemicals were sprayed after two weeks of imposition of water stress conditions at peak flowering stage. The results showed that water stress caused an appreciable reduction in growth and yield attributes. However, more than 75% of the total seed cotton yield was gathered at first pick under drought stressed condition compared to well-watered crop. The foliar spray of salicylic acid proved its potential to a far greater extent compared to proline and glycinebetaine. The spray of glycinebetaine was comparatively more effective in improving earliness indices than proline in cotton crop. The research study reveals that salicylic acid and glycinebetaine may be foliarly applied to sustain cotton production under drought stressed ecologies.