Mechanical ventilation still remains as the mainstay of management in newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The ventilated preterm infant lungs are vulnerable to overdistention and underinflation. Modern neonatal ventilators has volume targeted modes alternative to traditional pressure limited ventilation, which aims to deliver a more stable tidal volume thereby reducing volutrauma and atlectotrauma. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether volume targeted ventilation compared with pressure limited ventilation reduces the time to reach weaning criteria in prematurely born infants with RDS. METHOD: This is a randomized control trial of neonates who have been mechanically ventilated in NICU, Kasturba Hospital Manipal Udupi. Infants of less than 34 weeks with RDS requiring mechanical ventilation in first week of life were randomized to receive either pressure limited ventilation (PLV) or volume targeted ventilation (VTV). The primary outcome was the time to achieve prespecified weaning criteria. Secondary outcomes assessed was incidence of Pneumothorax, Retinopathy Of Prematurity (ROP), Intraventricular Haemorrhage (IVH), Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and  total ventilatory hours. RESULT: 81 neonates were enrolled and randomized into two treatment groups. The mean gestational age and birth weight of treatment group were 30 (±2.3) and 1230 (±374) gm and 70% of them received antenatal steroids. The primary outcome variable time to achieve weaning criteria was 8 hrs (3-17)(median and IQR) in PLV and 6 hrs (3- 13) in VTV (P=0.366), However in stratified analysis of infants in 31-34 weeks of GA there was a significant difference in primary outcomes, 10 hrs (5-14) in PLV and 5 hrs (2-12) in VTV (p=0.039). The complications associated with ventilation were compared and analysed between the groups.. CONCLUSION: In prematurely born infants with respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation, the use of VTV showed to be at par with the standard PLV. This could enable us to use it more confidently as a primary mode with lower limit of tidal volume. But in order to substantiate this further RCT may be required.