Nanocrystalline Zn2P2O7:Sm3+ was synthesized using citrate precursor route. Rietveld refined XRD shown the formation of pure phase at 900°C. Based on scanning electron microscopy, size distribution of the pyrophosphate particle was found to be in the range of 50–100nm. Upon near UV light excitation (403nm), Zn2P2O7:Sm3+exhibits host emission at 450nm along with characteristic emission lines of Sm3+. Based on PL decay measurement, it was inferred that two different types of Sm3+ ions were present in the zinc pyrophosphate. The first type was a short lived species (∼τ=100μs) present at less symmetric ‘5-coordinated Zn’ sites, while the second was a long lived species (∼τ=1.9ms) present at symmetric ‘6-coordinated Zn’ sites. The color coordinates of the system were evaluated using CIE index diagram to be 0.36 and 0.37, which suggest that the prepared material is a potential near white light emitting phosphor.