Ongole is a dual-purpose breed, also known as Nellore. The Ongole breed takes its name from the geographical area, Ongole, in which it is reared. It is also called the Nellore breed since the Ongole taluk was earlier included in the Nellore district. The breeding tract extends all along the coast from Nellore to Vizianagram and is also found in East Godavari, Guntur,Prakasam, Ongole, Nellore, Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh. Ongole has a glossy white coat called padakateeru by the breeders. Males have dark grey markings on the head, neck, and hump, black points on knees and pasterns, black muzzle, and black eye-lashes. The horns are short and stumpy, growing outward and backward from the outer angles of the poll, thick at the base and firm without cracks.
In cows, horns are thinner than in bulls. Horns in cows generally extend outward, upward, and inward. Majestic gait, stumpy horns, large fan-shaped and fleshy dewlap serrated with smooth flowing folds instead of narrow constrictions are the prominent characteristics of this breed. This breed has 658 kg of average milk production per lactation. Cow has average body length 139.55 cm, height at wither 143.94 cm and chest girth 165.3 cm. The average age at first calving recorded as 1,299 days, lactation length 275 days and inter-calving period 399 days.