Tapered ZnO nanorods have been synthesized and found to have efficient photocatalytic properties owing to a large number of native defect sites arising from oxygen non-stoichiometry. The estimation of defect states was carried out using photoluminescence spectroscopy. Visible light-driven photocatalytic activity of the prepared ZnO nanorods was evaluated by measuring the photodegradation of two widely used industrial organic pollutants, viz. rose bengal and methylene blue. Investigation of electric field profile of the tapered ZnO nanorods revealed the generation of huge absorption hot spots in the visible region, indicating better light trapping in tapered ZnO nanorods than the non-tapered structure.