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In the present study, cadmium tolerance potential of cold-tolerant and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), namely Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtilis, and their effects on growth and Cd accumulation in wheat seedlings under mountain ecosystem have been studied. In petri-dish-based assays, P. putida and B. subtilis exhibited tolerance to Cd up to 18 mg l⁻¹ and 20 mg l⁻¹, respectively. In pot-based experiments, the bacterial inoculations that were carried out in two wheat cultivars (HPW-184 and HPW-236) under influence of Cd exposure (two doses @ 10 and 20 mg kg⁻¹ soil) resulted in improved seed germination, plant-growth-related parameters including root–shoot length and root–shoot biomass accumulation and allocation, results being statistically significant (p < 0.05) in most instances. Overall, the bacterial inoculations were useful in reducing the Cd stress in the wheat cultivars through …