In vitro selected NaCl-tolerant regenerants of four indica rice genotypes namely IR51491-AC5-4, BRRI dhan40, Binnatoa and BRRI dhan 29 were assessed in glasshouse condition by estimating their survival and comparing five agronomic characteristics at maturity after ex vitro step-wise NaCl stress compared with their original parents. Step-wise NaCl stress (50-200 mM) was applied in nutrient solutions by adding 50 mM NaCl at 2 day intervals at the seedling, both seedling and panicle initiation, stages. Two types of regenerants, derived from continuous step-wise post induction to regeneration stages (SC1a) and continuous step-wise induction to regeneration stages (SC1b) were used in different experiments. Seedling survival was more for regenerants type SC1b compared with seed derived seedlings. Regenerants derived from Binnatoa with non-step-wise NaCl stress (150 mM) yielded fertile SC1 plants after exposure up to 200 mM NaCl stress applied at the seedling and booting stages. Salt stress resulted in advanced flowering. Salinity strongly increased sterility, particularly when applied at the panicle initiation stage whereas plants recovered best from stress induced at the seedling stage. The extent of somaclonal variation was observed among same type of somaclonal lines when same levels of stress were applied at different growth stages.