Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is an important vegetable crop in the tropical and subtropical regions of India, grown for its tender pods that are used in fresh and processed forms. Okra is known for its high nutritive value, extensive industrial applications and significant foreign exchange earnings. The Indian gene pool of okra exhibits high genetic diversity for agronomically important traits, which has been exploited to develop a number of improved varieties. A wide range of breeding methods and techniques has been employed to develop high-yielding, stress-tolerant varieties, also keeping consumer preference a priority. Advanced generations (F1 onwards) of interspecific crosses in okra are severely restricted by several pre- and post-zygotic barriers. To address the frequently occurring F1 sterility issue in wide hybridization, polyploidy breeding (colchicine-induced amphidiploidization of F1) has been practiced. Commercial hybrid seeds of okra are produced through traditional hand emasculation and pollination, which is tedious and expensive. Genic Male Sterility (GMS) is now available to economize hybrid seed production, but the removal of 50% of fertile plants in the male-sterile population is a tedious job. High-throughput biotechnological tools, such as RNA interference (RNAi), genome-wide selection (GWS), marker-assisted recurrent selection (MARS), targeted gene replacement and next-generation sequencing (NGS) in okra breeding, can provide a rapid way for okra improvement in the future.