Electrospinning (E-spin) is a unique technique to fabricate polymeric as well as metal oxide nanofibers. Research on electrospun nanofibers is a very active field in material science owing to their novel applications in diverse domains. The main focus of this review is to provide an insight into E-spin technique by understanding the working principle, influencing parameters and applications of nanofibers in different walks of life. Several hundreds of papers are published on the preparation, modification and applications of nanofibers produced by E-spin technique in the areas like sensor development, decontamination, energy storage, biomedical and catalysis etc. Details on the industrial scale development of E-spin technique, current scenario and future developments are also covered in this review. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.