Cassava is one of the most important sources of energy. To meet the growing demand, genetic improvement is of utmost importance. Its cross-pollinating nature limits the opportunity of exploitation of hybrid vigour and demands the development of homozygous lines through doubled-haploid technologies. The problems in callus mediated embryogenesis such as longer processing time and genetically unstable nature can be overcome by direct embryogenesis. Conditions to produce embryos directly from microspores in cultured anthers were optimized. The optimum stress pre-treatment condition was 40°C for 6 h after culturing the anthers in to the induction medium. For pro-embryo formation, 2% sucrose and 5 mg/l 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) or 1 mg/l 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid were optimum. Globular embryos were formed by sub-culturing pro-embryos into the medium with 0.5 mg/l 2,4-D and 5 mg/l 6-Benzylaminopurine after two weeks of culturing. Light microscopy of cultured anthers demonstrated the formation of multicellular structures and their further development into pro-embryos. Microscopic studies showed pro-embryos emerging through the damaged anther wall.  Mono-allelic banding in Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) analysis indicated homozygous or haploid state in some of the originated embryos. The conditions optimized in this study were effective in early development of direct embryos after two weeks of culture initiation.  This is the first report of formation of direct embryos in cultured anthers of cassava.