diff --git a/docs/api-reference/narwhals.md b/docs/api-reference/narwhals.md
index d808263aa..9d7ac384e 100644
--- a/docs/api-reference/narwhals.md
+++ b/docs/api-reference/narwhals.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Here are the top-level functions available in Narwhals.
         - max
         - maybe_align_index
         - maybe_convert_dtypes
+        - maybe_get_index
         - maybe_set_index
         - mean
         - mean_horizontal
diff --git a/narwhals/__init__.py b/narwhals/__init__.py
index 5180ef095..0977e716a 100644
--- a/narwhals/__init__.py
+++ b/narwhals/__init__.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 from narwhals.utils import is_ordered_categorical
 from narwhals.utils import maybe_align_index
 from narwhals.utils import maybe_convert_dtypes
+from narwhals.utils import maybe_get_index
 from narwhals.utils import maybe_set_index
 
 __version__ = "1.5.5"
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@
     "is_ordered_categorical",
     "maybe_align_index",
     "maybe_convert_dtypes",
+    "maybe_get_index",
     "maybe_set_index",
     "get_native_namespace",
     "all",
diff --git a/narwhals/stable/v1.py b/narwhals/stable/v1.py
index 8d79d6c73..d166a814f 100644
--- a/narwhals/stable/v1.py
+++ b/narwhals/stable/v1.py
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 from narwhals.utils import is_ordered_categorical as nw_is_ordered_categorical
 from narwhals.utils import maybe_align_index as nw_maybe_align_index
 from narwhals.utils import maybe_convert_dtypes as nw_maybe_convert_dtypes
+from narwhals.utils import maybe_get_index as nw_maybe_get_index
 from narwhals.utils import maybe_set_index as nw_maybe_set_index
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -1438,6 +1439,33 @@ def maybe_convert_dtypes(df: T, *args: bool, **kwargs: bool | str) -> T:
     return nw_maybe_convert_dtypes(df, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
+def maybe_get_index(obj: T) -> Any | None:
+    """
+    Get the index of a DataFrame or a Series, if it's pandas-like.
+
+    Notes:
+        This is only really intended for backwards-compatibility purposes,
+        for example if your library already aligns indices for users.
+        If you're designing a new library, we highly encourage you to not
+        rely on the Index.
+        For non-pandas-like inputs, this returns `None`.
+
+    Examples:
+        >>> import pandas as pd
+        >>> import polars as pl
+        >>> import narwhals.stable.v1 as nw
+        >>> df_pd = pd.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2], "b": [4, 5]})
+        >>> df = nw.from_native(df_pd)
+        >>> nw.maybe_get_index(df)
+        RangeIndex(start=0, stop=2, step=1)
+        >>> series_pd = pd.Series([1, 2])
+        >>> series = nw.from_native(series_pd, series_only=True)
+        >>> nw.maybe_get_index(series)
+        RangeIndex(start=0, stop=2, step=1)
+    """
+    return nw_maybe_get_index(obj)
+
+
 def maybe_set_index(df: T, column_names: str | list[str]) -> T:
     """
     Set columns `columns` to be the index of `df`, if `df` is pandas-like.
@@ -1678,6 +1706,7 @@ def from_dict(
     "is_ordered_categorical",
     "maybe_align_index",
     "maybe_convert_dtypes",
+    "maybe_get_index",
     "maybe_set_index",
     "get_native_namespace",
     "get_level",
diff --git a/narwhals/utils.py b/narwhals/utils.py
index f0e5c1cf6..6c1b5c1b4 100644
--- a/narwhals/utils.py
+++ b/narwhals/utils.py
@@ -240,6 +240,37 @@ def _validate_index(index: Any) -> None:
     return lhs
 
 
+def maybe_get_index(obj: T) -> Any | None:
+    """
+    Get the index of a DataFrame or a Series, if it's pandas-like.
+
+    Notes:
+        This is only really intended for backwards-compatibility purposes,
+        for example if your library already aligns indices for users.
+        If you're designing a new library, we highly encourage you to not
+        rely on the Index.
+        For non-pandas-like inputs, this returns `None`.
+
+    Examples:
+        >>> import pandas as pd
+        >>> import polars as pl
+        >>> import narwhals as nw
+        >>> df_pd = pd.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2], "b": [4, 5]})
+        >>> df = nw.from_native(df_pd)
+        >>> nw.maybe_get_index(df)
+        RangeIndex(start=0, stop=2, step=1)
+        >>> series_pd = pd.Series([1, 2])
+        >>> series = nw.from_native(series_pd, series_only=True)
+        >>> nw.maybe_get_index(series)
+        RangeIndex(start=0, stop=2, step=1)
+    """
+    obj_any = cast(Any, obj)
+    native_obj = to_native(obj_any)
+    if is_pandas_like_dataframe(native_obj) or is_pandas_like_series(native_obj):
+        return native_obj.index
+    return None
+
+
 def maybe_set_index(df: T, column_names: str | list[str]) -> T:
     """
     Set columns `columns` to be the index of `df`, if `df` is pandas-like.
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index b94c8371e..68dc90ed7 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import polars as pl
 import pytest
 from pandas.testing import assert_frame_equal
+from pandas.testing import assert_index_equal
 from pandas.testing import assert_series_equal
 
 import narwhals.stable.v1 as nw
@@ -65,6 +66,24 @@ def test_maybe_set_index_polars() -> None:
     assert result is df
 
 
+def test_maybe_get_index_pandas() -> None:
+    pandas_df = pd.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3]}, index=[1, 2, 0])
+    result = nw.maybe_get_index(nw.from_native(pandas_df))
+    assert_index_equal(result, pandas_df.index)
+    pandas_series = pd.Series([1, 2, 3], index=[1, 2, 0])
+    result_s = nw.maybe_get_index(nw.from_native(pandas_series, series_only=True))
+    assert_index_equal(result_s, pandas_series.index)
+
+
+def test_maybe_get_index_polars() -> None:
+    df = nw.from_native(pl.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3]}))
+    result = nw.maybe_get_index(df)
+    assert result is None
+    series = nw.from_native(pl.Series([1, 2, 3]), series_only=True)
+    result = nw.maybe_get_index(series)
+    assert result is None
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     parse_version(pd.__version__) < parse_version("1.0.0"),
     reason="too old for convert_dtypes",