Antibiotics are majorly used in food animals for growth promotion and prophylactic purposes in public health and environment. The aim of this review is mainly to discuss about the antibiotics usage in poultry, livestock and aquaculture sectors, particularly in India, and the identification of antibiotic resistance in animals, their corresponding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) (if investigated) and their dissemination among environmental compartments in various parts of the country. It also discusses about the classification and mechanism of action of different antibiotics. It reports the risks, benefits, ARGs development mechanisms from food animals to humans and to the environment. Most of the current studies are done in the medical field on regulating/restricting antibiotic usage and tracking the propagation of ARGs in bacterial samples of sick patients and also report the identification of antibiotics and ARGs in wastewater treatment plant effluents across various countries. This study mainly reviews the evolution and transportation of ARGs in detail for Indian scenario. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd.