Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a vital cool-season legume cultivated in over 50 countries and consumed in more than 120 countries. Renowned as a rich source of dietary protein, it is also gaining popularity as a health food in developed nations. Besides its nutritional value, chickpea plays a crucial role in crop rotations with cereals, enhancing soil health and boosting the overall productivity of cropping systems. In India, scientists from National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), in collaboration with CGIAR institutes such as the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), have been actively developing chickpea cultivars tailored to both water-limited conditions and irrigated environments. The collaborative efforts focus on traits valued by farmers, traders, and consumers. The major objectives of the chickpea improvement program include increasing yield potential, developing short-duration varieties, and enhancing tolerance to abiotic stresses like terminal drought and extreme temperatures during the reproductive stage. Additionally, the program targets resistance to major diseases such as fusarium wilt, dry root rot, ascochyta blight, and botrytis grey mold, as well as pests like Helicoverpa pod borer. Improvements in seed traits, including color, size, and shape, are also prioritized. The development of high-yielding, short-duration, and wilt-resistant varieties of both desi and kabuli types has significantly impacted chickpea cultivation and production. Notably, machine-harvestable chickpea varieties are now widely adopted by Indian farmers, transforming chickpea farming. Significant progress has been achieved in refining screening techniques and identifying diverse sources of resistance to major abiotic and biotic stresses. Intensive efforts have also been made to ensure the availability of quality seeds in India through seed hubs supported by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. As a result, the seed replacement rate for chickpea in India has risen from less than 10% in 2005 to nearly 30% in recent years. Furthermore, the share of new varieties (less than 10 years old) now exceeds 81%, marking a significant advancement in chickpea breeding and production.