The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of Cr 2 AlC additions on the tribological properties of Piston Ring coated with Ni-Mo-Al alloy. For this Cr 2 AlC MAX phase was blended with Ni-Mo-Al alloy powder in different proportions (10 wt%, 20 wt% and 50 wt%) and coated on the stainless steel piston ring by Air Plasma Spraying (APS). During coating Cr 2 AlC MAX reacts with air and forms Cr 7 C 3 and Al 2 O 3 phases. The in-situ formation of Cr 7 C 3 and Al 2 O 3 was observed to strengthen the alloy. 20 wt% Cr 2 AlC additions to the Ni-Mo-Al alloy yields a good combination of properties, such as improved adhesion, hardness and wear resistance. Composite coating was found to be stable during the exfoliation test of the coated ring. Coating life cycles were found to be nearly doubled by MAX phase addition, as assessed through the twist-fatigue study. These improved properties could be attributed to the finely distributed oxides (alumina) and chromium carbides (Cr 7 C 3 ) within the coated layer, which were formed in-situ during plasma spraying. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.