The osteoporosis self-assessment tool (OSTA) predicts the risk of osteoporosis in an individual. It is a simple calculation-based tool [wt (kg) - age (yr)/5] and can be used for measuring bone mineral density (BMD). However, OSTA is influenced by ethnicity. We studied the performance of OSTA index as a screening tool for osteoporosis in 257 community-dwelling North Indian men above 50 yr age. Each subject underwent a detailed clinical, dietary, anthropometric, and biochemical assessment and bone density measurement using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. As per World Health Organization criteria, osteoporosis, osteopenia, and normal BMD were observed in 17.9%, 58.8%, and 23.3%, respectively. OSTA index ranged between -6.4 and 8.8. OST index <= 2 predicted osteoporosis with a sensitivity of 95.7% and a specificity of 33.6% and an area under the curve for a receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.702. The OSTA index is an effective screening tool for measuring BMD in elderly Indian men and can be used by primary care physicians.