Everyone can feel anxious sometimes, but people with anxiety disorders often experience fear and worry. Anxiety disorders are a serious threat to public health, affecting a major section of the world’s population. Although effective treatments exist, only a fraction of people with anxiety disorders receive treatment due to barriers such as lack of awareness, insufficient mental health services and social stigma. Plants containing flavonoids constituents are reported to be potent anti-anxiety. In this study, we evaluated the anxiolytic activity of the hydro-alcoholic extract of Andrographis echioides aerial parts in rats. The study involved behavioral tests, such as the elevated plus maze, open field test and marble burying test to evaluate the anxiolytic potential of the extract. Acute oral toxicity test performed to determine safety profile of the plant extract. The results showed that the time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, the central zone of the open field test and reduction in the number of buried marbles. These effects were comparable to the effect produced by diazepam. All the doses of plant extract employed for acute oral toxicity studies were found to be non - toxic. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, steroids, carbohydrates and proteins and amino acids. From the study, it can be concluded that hydro-alcoholic extract of Andrographis echioides at the dose of 200mg/kg possesses marked anxiolytic activity. Since flavonoids are known to promote anxiolytic activity, the presence of flavonoids in these plant extract may be the cause of the anxiolytic activity.