Backgrounds & Aims: Undernutrition during early childhood may affect the growth and development of the brain as well as somatic growth resulting in reduced motor performance. The purpose of this study was to characterize the motor development of Santal children aged 5-12 years of the Purulia district and to investigate the relationship contribution of nutritional and socioeconomic status on motor development.Methods: About 841 Santal children were examined in this cross-sectional study. The nutritional status of each child was assessed by height-for-age z-score based on WHO reference data. Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured by Kuppusswami scale. Motor development was measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test (BOT-2). Results: Children with a height-for-age z-score of -2 or less were significantly more likely to have a total BOT-2 z-score of -2 or less compared with children at a healthier height-for-age range (Χ2=271.136, p<0.0001). Well-nourished children scored significantly higher (p<0.05) than undernourished children in total BOT-2 score and in all individual motor subtests. Regression analysis showed that nutritional status, socioeconomic status and height have significant impact on total BOT-2 score (p<0.001). Conclusion: Santal children’s motor proficiency is around the 1st percentile when compared with normative BOT-2 data. This may be, in part, a result of nutritional and economic disparities between children on who the BOT-2 was normed and Santal children, supporting the role of nutrition in motor development. Additionally, Santal children with lower SES and poorer nutritional status have lower motor proficiency compared with Santal children with comparatively higher SES and nutritional status.