Abstract Most of the machining process use cutting fluids for better cooling and lubrication, which ensures good machinability at low specific energy consumption. However, the conventional cutting fluids pose serious health hazards to operators along with environmental pollution. Furthermore, the cost incurred in the purification and disposal of cutting fluids is sometimes greater than the cutting tool. Grinding process involves higher specific energies, which give rise to high heat generation in grinding region and the penetration ability of liquid grinding fluids (flood cooling) into the contact zone becomes poor. Therefore, attention towards alternative methods of cutting fluid application has bolstered owing to the operational and environmental cost pressures. Various studies have shown that a prominent substitute to flood cooling in grinding is minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) grinding or near dry grinding (NDG). In this study, the performance parameters of MQL grinding are reviewed in terms of surface quality, grinding forces, wheel wear, thermal considerations and ecological safety. Moreover, MQL can be a viable alternative to dry and flood cooling in grinding process.