Water scarcity exacerbates malnutrition, especially in regions where chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) are widely cultivated, due to micronutrient deficiencies. Mitigating water-limiting stress through cost-effective seed priming techniques using micronutrients and phytohormones is a novel attempt at ameliorating water stress through morpho-physiological and biochemical manifestations. This study evaluates the effectiveness of zinc (0.5%), boron (0.05%), and salicylic acid (0.5%) as priming agents on chickpea genotypes under water-limiting conditions, optimizing concentrations in lab conditions before field trials. Results indicated a progressive rise in various morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters in Bprimed treatments, followed by Zn and SA treatments, in both normal and water-limited environments. The findings suggest that precise nutrient and hormonal priming can enhance modern cropping systems by mitigating oxidative stress induced by water scarcity, presenting a promising avenue for sustainable agriculture.