MUMBAI, June 23 -- When pharmaceutical company ACG recently announced plans to start a professional basketball league in India and appointed Jeremy Loeliger, former commissioner of Australia's National Basketball League, as director of ACG Sports, the initial excitement was palpable.

But the real question is about what happens next: How do you build a league in a country where cricket dominates, many leagues have failed, and basketball, despite strong global momentum, remains a fringe sport?

In an interview withMint, ACG managing director Karan Singh and Loeliger laid out the blueprint of what they call a "fan-first, culture-led movement," one that avoids the "cut-copy-paste" model of the Indian Premier League. The tournament is being l...