The International School of Hyderabad (ISH) was established by a group of parents in 1972. In 1982, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) received permission to operate a school to provide education for children of its employees. The charter was later amended to allow ISH to admit children of expatriates living in Hyderabad. In 2002, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted ISH permission to admit a limited number of Indian nationals. At present about 20% hold Indian passports.

For many years ISH operated on the premises of ICRISAT Social Club in Banjara Hills. In 2006, ISH commissioned a purpose-built Secondary School on the ICRISAT Campus on the outskirts of the city. The new Secondary School was completed in 2007. In 2009, the Elementary School moved to temporary buildings on the main ICRISAT campus. Later in 2009, ISH broke ground on a purpose-built Elementary School next to the Secondary School. The whole of the new Elementary School building was completed by June 2012.