The electrical discharge machine (EDM) is an unconventional machine process. It uses thermoelectric energy to erode the work material. Usually, the EDM is employed to machine the hard to cut materials. The extraordinary characteristics of the EDM make the process more versatile for advanced manufacturing. The process is used to attend the intricate geometry with a high degree of accuracy. In the present scenario the manufacturing industries are meeting new challenges at frequent intervals due to the market competition and unique attributes of the materials. Ever changing customer requirement forces the continuous improvement in the machining technology, especially in unconventional machining processes like EDM. The present work reviews the progress of the key technology of the EDM which mainly affects output of the process. The reported work supplies the rigorous analysis of the major elements of the EDM in phase manner which includes the Power generation, control Units and servomechanism. In each section the concern issues are highlighted and reported proper remedies. In nutshell the EDM development from the start to the present stage is reported.