The present invention provides a novel crystalline form of sunitinib malate, process for its preparation and to pharmaceutical composition containing it. The present invention also provides a process for preparation of sunitinib malate crystal form I. Thus, for example, sunitinib malate was added to water, the mixture was heated to 80 deg C. to obtain a clear solution and stirred for 30 minutes at 80 deg C., slowly cooled to room temperature and the solution was subjected to freeze drying at about −90 deg C. for 8 hours to give sunitinib malate crystalline form III.
