During IV Plan (1970) period, like any other agricultural commodities, All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Poultry Breeding was initiated by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to produce superior genetic stocks of layers and broilers to achieve self-reliance in poultry production.  The project was operated with a coordinating unit located at Poultry Research Division, IVRI, till the year 1979 and subsequently at CARI, Izatnagar till the year 1988.  Under this project a network of research centers were located at different State Agricultural Universities and ICAR institutes.  The Coordination unit, comprising a small group of scientists from different disciplines with a full time Project Co-ordinator, co-ordinated the work of the different centers and carried out research programmes.

Keeping in view the importance and magnitude of work involved, the Co-ordination unit of AICRP was subsequently upgraded to the status of a Directorate during the last part of VII plan period, named as Project Directorate on Poultry (PDP).  This Directorate was established at its present location in Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University campus, Hyderabad on 1st March, 1988.  Since then, the Directorate has been the focal point for research on Poultry, particularly in the area of genetics and breeding.  The Directorate essentially remains the co-ordination unit of AICRP on Poultry Breeding.   Further, it carries out applied and technology generating research on chicken.   It has been acting as repository for two random-bred control populations (one each for layer and broiler type of chicken).  Besides these responsibilities, the Directorate also maintains a germplasm center to make available the improved strains and stocks to the user agencies.

The research programmes carried out at this Directorate made significant progress in developing high yielding layer and broiler strains since its inception.  The initial target of 220m eggs set for layers up to 72 weeks of age has been revised to 235,250,260 and 270 and were all achieved.   Similarly, in broilers, the initial target of 1500g at 10 weeks was subsequently revised to 1200g at 8 weeks and 1500g at 6 week, were also achieved.  As per approval of Varietal Release Committee on Poultry, the following layer and broiler crosses have been released for commercial exploitation.

Besides, the Directorate has evolved two synthetic strains viz. Vanaraja and Gramapriya for back yard farming in tribal and rural areas.   Keeping in view the growing demands and the challenges that the Directorate has to face in future, perspective plan for next 25 years has been prepared with a visionary approach.  This document will guide the Directorate in planning and executing its various activities in the coming years.  During IX plan period the thrust area in major programmes have been identified to meet the perspective demands of the Directorate which includes:

1.  Development of germplasm for backyard farming for rural/tribal areas.

2.  Bio-technology approaches for improvement in broiler and layer populations.

3.  Development of gene lines with single gene as sex-linked recessive dwarf(dw) and naked neck(Na) gene etc., and their utilization in tropical broiler production.

4.  Pureline improvement of colour meat populations to optimize the production efficiency at parent and broiler level.

5.  Pureline improvement of layer population for specific objectives.