<p>Plants have developed various mechanisms to acclimatize under stressful environments, including the synthesis of a diverse range of secondary metabolites. These metabolites possess medicinal properties and are commercially utilized in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as in other sectors such as food and beverages, cosmetics, and agrochemical industry. However, these compounds are synthesized in very limited quantity in plants and hence to address this limitation, several techniques have been employed, with elicitation being one of the most effective methods. As advancements in nanotechnology progress rapidly, the introduction of nanoscale materials into the environment is becoming increasingly prevalent, which may have detrimental effects on the ecosystem functionality. Currently, there is a growing trend to integrate elicitation with nanotechnology to enhance the production of metabolites in plants. However, research exploring the use of nanomaterials as potential elicitors for the production of valuable industrial compounds remains limited. In this context, we present studies that demonstrate the capability of nanomaterials to act as elicitors of plant’s defensive chemistry, often resulting in an increased production of various secondary metabolites. However, these NPs, at higher concentrations, can negatively affect the ecosystem and environment, particularly by changing soil quality and contaminating water sources. Their accumulation in soil can disrupt the soil-plant ecosystem, affecting plant health and productivity, but their application at optimum concentration can provide a way for enhancing metabolites without harming plant health. This review focuses on all the major aspects on nanoelicitation ranging from the modes of application, pathways used for internalization, molecular aspects associated with nanoelicitation and impact on the production of different secondary metabolites.</p> Graphical Abstract <p>Representing the various exposure methods of nanoparticles (NPs), such as foliar treatment, soil amendments, media supplements, etc. After internalization in plant cells, these NPs behave as elicitors to stimulate secondary metabolism in plants</p> <p></p>