The effluents from tanning industries in and around Palar river basin are the major cause of Cr (III) pollution. Forty-five chromium (III) tolerant bacterial strains were isolated from the Palar river basin. Bacillus subtilis VITSCCr01 showed tolerance up to 1500 mg/l and its Cr (III) bioremoval capacity was 64%. Increasing the concentration of Cr (III) increased exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by the bacteria. FTIR spectral studies confirmed the presence of polysaccharides in the Cr (III) treated bacteria. Adaptation of Bacillus subtilis VITSCCr01 with higher Cr (III) concentration improved the bioremoval capacity to 85%. SEM-EDX showed that the adapted bacteria accumulated high concentration of chromium. Bacillus subtilis VITSCCr01 could be used as a tool for in situ removal of Cr (III) especially in the tannery polluted environment. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.