CRIDA is a constituent organization of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), an autonomous body of Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Established during 1985 by upgrading the All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA), Hyderabad, CRIDA works with the mandate of undertaking basic and applied research for a more sustainable rainfed agriculture. It hosts two net work projects viz., All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture and All India Coordinated Research Project on Agrometeorology. It is also coordinating the National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) launched by ICAR with a view to developing technologies and strategies towards a more climate resilient agriculture in India. The Institute works with many national and international organizations in pursuit of its mandate.