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Kutchi, an important dual-purpose (meat and milk) goat breed, is found in Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch districts of Gujarat, India. Genetic diversity within the breed was investigated using 25 microsatellite molecular markers. The PCR products were run on automated DNA sequencer for allelic differentiation at 25 microsatellite loci. The average number of alleles observed across the studied microsatellite loci was 12.0 +/- 1.02. The average expected gene diversity within the population was 0.79 +/- 0.02, whereas observed heterozygosity was 0.59 +/- 0.06. Thirteen out of the total 25 studied loci showed significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The F-is (inbreeding) value was 0.23 +/- 0.07. The genetic differentiation among sub-populations of this breed was low (F-st = 0.05 +/- 0.01). The Sign and Wilcoxon tests detected significant departure from mutation drift equilibrium in the population at most of the studied loci. Appropriate breeding strategies for its conservation and improvement of its unique attributes like adaptability and fitness under harsh climatic conditions of the arid/semiarid zone are warranted.