The adverse effects of changing climate are making abiotic stresses in crop plants more frequent and severe. Major stresses due to water deficit, waterlogging, changes in light quality, nutritional imbalances, salinity, acidity, and accumulation of heavy metals reduce crop productivity and quality. Information on how the neglected and underutilised species respond to abiotic stress is important for crop breeding and diversification. Breeding efforts should focus on the use of advanced biotechnological tools to combine different drought tolerance mechanisms into single crops. Both rising and freezing temperatures adversely affect the overall structure and function of growth and biomass of crop plants, necessitating the assessment of various physiological and biochemical traits in heat-tolerant genotypes. A better understanding of the genetics of heat tolerance can make targeted approaches to genetic improvement. In this context, utilisation of the molecular markers of heat tolerance in different crops is vital. The quantity and quality of light, which varies daily are important in the development of plants. One solution to food supply challenges is developing crop varieties suitable for vertical farming, indoor growing, and urban agriculture. Significant progress has been made in identifying genes linked to shade tolerance and avoidance, benefiting other organisms as well. Growing shade-tolerant plants can be difficult, but it has advantages in low-light conditions. Salt stress negatively affects seed germination, root and shoot growth, and fruit development. Many QTLs linked to salinity tolerance have been found in various crops and can be used in marker-assisted back-crossing to improve high-yield but vulnerable genotypes. As soil pH drops, toxic metals increase, leading to growth issues; aluminium toxicity is especially harmful to crops. Genes related to aluminium and iron toxicity have been identified, which may aid in developing tolerant genotypes. While heavy metals can be useful in small amounts, excess levels harm plant growth. Research indicates that plant-specific peroxidases help plants cope with heavy metal stress. Deployment of nutrient-use-efficient genotypes and improving nutrient efficiency are crucial for higher productivity, especially in nutrient-deficient soils. Advancements in genomics and proteomics have led to identifying key genes, which may improve nitrogen efficiency and crop yields. Breeding for improved biological nitrogen fixation in leguminous crops may also boost yields. Additionally, identifying phosphorus-efficient genotypes tolerant of low phosphorus is essential, with several QTLs already discovered. Gene banks play a vital role in crop enhancement initiatives, holding many beneficial genetic resources. The Indian Gene Centre is notable for its agricultural biodiversity, featuring a wide variety of cultivated plants and wild crop relatives. The complex nature of abiotic stress tolerance makes breeding for resilience challenging and calls for a clear understanding of molecular mechanisms of plant responses to stress. While controlled environment studies provide insights, open-field studies are limited. Improved phenotyping approaches can help close this gap and have selections of tolerant/resistant genotypes. Future research should focus on identifying genetic pathways for stress tolerance and utilizing next-generation sequencing data to link candidate genes. Incorporating stable quantitative trait loci offers a promising strategy for improving stress. Developing transgenic varieties may help create heat stress-resistant pulse genotypes. Many questions remain about target genes and their stress response impacts.