The effect of seasonally reversing monsoons in the northern Indian Ocean is to impart significant changes in surface salinity (SS). Here, we report SS changes during the last 32 kyr in the Lakshadweep Sea (southeastern Arabian Sea) estimated from paired measurements of d18O and sea surface temperature (SST) using Globigerinoides sacculifer, an upper mixed layer dwelling foraminifera. The heaviest d18OG.sacculifer (–0.07±0.08‰) is recorded between 23 and 15 ka, which could be defined as the last glacial maximum (LGM). The d18OG.sacculifer shift between the LGM and Holocene is 2.07‰. The SST shows an overall warming of 2°C from the LGM to Holocene (28°C to 30°C). However, coldest SSTs are observed prior to LGM, i.e., ~27 ka. The SS was higher (~38 psu) throughout most of the recorded last glacial period (32.5–15 ka). This high salinity together with generally lower SSTs suggests a period of sustained weaker summer or stronger winter monsoons. The deglacial warming is associated with rapid reorganization of monsoons and is reflected in decreased salinity to a modern level of ~ 36.5 psu, within a period of ~5 kyr. This indicates intensification of summer monsoons during cold to warm climate transition.