The Poultry industry is the fastest growing sector of India's agriculture. To get the full impact of its rapid escalation, it would be interesting to trace the evolution of poultry development in India. In the absence of any perceptible increase in labour absorption capacity by the industrial sector, the future remains bleak with regard to rural employment position. Poultry keeping, apart from providing subsidiary income and employment, can also contribute in mitigating the problem of malnutrition in the country.