Research work on arid zone fruits began under the ad-hoc scheme entitled, "Research on some selected fruits of the arid and semi-arid areas in India" financed by the AP Cess Fund of ICAR in 1976 at 10 centres (Abohar, Jodhpur, Chandan Well, Hisar, Khedoi, Rahuri, Lahaul, Yercaud, Bengaluru and Udaipur). The scheme was merged during the VIth Five Year Plan to form the Cell III of the All India Coordinated Fruit Improvement Project (AICFIP) in 1978. During the VIIth Five Year Plan, the Cell III of the AICFIP was restructured to form an independent Project entitled, "All India Coordinated Research Project on Arid Zone Fruits", which was later strengthened during the VIIIth Five Year Plan. At present, the project has 18 centres spread over 10 states of the country, i.e. 4 in Rajasthan, 4 Maharashtra, 2 centers each in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, and one each in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Haryana. Currently, the project has a team of 38 scientists and 36 technical staff.

Organized research on arid zone fruits was initiated by the ICAR in 1976 on ad-hoc basis under AP Cess Fund Scheme. Research on some selected fruits in the semi-arid areas in India at 10 centres in the country. During the Vth Five-year Plan, the ad-hoc scheme became a component of the All India Coordinated Fruit Improvement Project. During the VIIth Plan, the scheme was restructured and launched as AICRP on Arid Zone Fruits. During the period 1976-1998, two centres (Lahaul-HPK VV and Bhojka - RAU) were closed down. Four centres were shifted to new locations, from Chandan Well to Bikaner under SKRAU, Hisar to Bawal under CCSHAU, Yercaud to Aruppukottai under TNAU and Udaipur to Jobner under SKRAU. Three centres namely Anantapur (APHU, 1983), Dantiwada (SDAU, 1983) and Faizabad (NDUAT, 1987) were added. Two ICAR institutes i.e. CISH, Lucknow and CIAH, Bikaner were inducted as cooperating centres in 2006. In XI FYP, four centres Jadhavwadi (MPKV), Ambajogai (VNMAU), Jabalpur (JNK VV) and Jhalawar (KAU). The NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur was added in 2015. At present, 18 centres, 14 under SAUs in 10 states and 4 under ICAR Institutes in four states are functioning. The Project Coordination Unit, initially established at Hisar was shifted in 1993 to Bikaner (Rajasthan) and is presently stationed at ICAR-CIAH, Bikaner. The list of AICRP-AZF centres, their locations, year of establishment and state wise distribution are given here under: