Ni-nanoparticles supported on MgO promoted nanocrytalline zinc oxide catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method in presence of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The catalyst showed very good activity for the reforming of methane with carbon dioxide to produce synthesis gas, where H-2/CO ratio was almost 1 and the catalyst showed no deactivation for more than 100 h. The prepared catalyst was characterized using the analytical techniques like N-2-physisorption studies, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Temperature programmed desorption (TPD), Temperature programmed reduction (TPR), Temperature programmed oxidation (TPO), H-2-chemisorpton, Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). Transmission electron microscopy and H-2-chemisorption analysis indicated that highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles with average size 5.7 nm, present on ZnO when MgO was added with the catalyst. The strong Ni-ZnO interaction was evidenced from TPR and EXAFS analysis. The presence of highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles and strong metal support interaction enhanced the reduction behaviour of the Ni-MgO/ZnO catalyst. The presence of MgO increased the adsorption behaviour of CO2, enhanced the dissociation of CO2 and accelerated the carbon elimination. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.