This study investigates the impact of Zinc Solubilizing Bacteria (ZSB) and their consortia on key physiological and biochemical in two rice varieties, PD 26 and NDR 359, over two consecutive growing seasons (2022 and 2023). Unlike individual bacterial strains, microbial consortia harness the synergistic interactions between multiple species, leading to enhanced zinc solubilization efficiency and improved plant responses. The application of consortia significantly boosted the activities of zinc-dependent enzymes, including carbonic anhydrase (CA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). It also significantly improved gaseous exchange parameters, including stomatal conductance, internal CO