The franchise-based National Star Basketball League (NSBL), the original announcement for which was made in end-June 2024 by the Basketball Federation of India, is laying the groundwork but still to fix a clear timeline as to when it will finally tip off.
It is worth noting that BFI president Aadhav Arjuna has told SportzPower in early September 2024 that NSBL would debut after the Indian Premier League 2025 was done and dusted, with ten teams competing.
“The NSBL will launch after the IPL as a ten team league,” Arjuna had then told SportzPower on the sidelines of a media briefing announcing the launch of the ACG Jr. NBA program, a nationwide 3×3 tournament for the top U-14 players across India and the largest school-based basketball program in the country.
The professional basketball league, which will have structured competitive leagues in 5×5 and 3×3 formats for both men and women, will be run by BFI and ACG Sports Private Limited.
The groundbreaking initiative will result in establishing a comprehensive professional ecosystem that opens the door for athletes across the country to pursue basketball as a viable career, the organisers have informed.
“Designed to redefine how the sport is played, experienced, and supported in India, the league aims to shift basketball from a niche discipline into a mainstream pursuit. It will serve as a long-term catalyst for India’s presence on the global basketball stage, backed by world-class infrastructure, holistic athlete development, and robust community engagement,” the organisers informed in a release.
The league is being driven by ACG Sports Pvt. Ltd., a division of ACG, a global leader in integrated manufacturing solutions for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. This initiative represents a natural extension of its decade-long investment in grassroots basketball programs.
To guide the league’s global strategy and operations, Jeremy Loeliger, former CEO & commissioner of Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL), has been appointed director of ACG Sports. In his new role, Loeliger will lead the development of the league’s blueprint, bringing international standards of governance, competition, and commercial innovation to the Indian shores.
“Basketball represents more than just a sport – it is a vehicle for building character, leadership, and opportunity,” said Karan Singh, managing director of ACG. “Our decade-long journey, beginning with grassroots initiatives has focused on systematically making basketball accessible across India while building the professional pathways that young athletes need to thrive.”
To coincide with this initiative, ACG is targeting the launch India’s first fully residential high-performance centre around mid-2026. Per ACG, the academy “will feature world-class facilities, attract top coaching talent from the U.S. and Australia, and offer comprehensive training programmes for players, coaches, and referees. Nutrition, mental wellness, and academic balance will be integral to the curriculum – ensuring holistic development of future stars”.
The release quotes Arjuna as having stated: “This partnership with ACG is unlike anything we’ve seen before. It is driven by vision, structured for long-term impact, and rooted in a clear understanding of what Indian basketball truly needs. We’re building not just visibility, but real momentum and global credibility.”
The complete league framework including team structures, competition formats, player eligibility, and governance models – is currently in development with inputs from global basketball experts and key industry stakeholders. Detailed announcements on participation guidelines, venue requirements, and operational protocols will follow in a phased rollout.
In the coming months, the newly formed league council will begin overseeing standards and operations, while nationwide scouting initiatives, customised athlete development tracks, and dynamic fan engagement programs will begin laying the foundation for a vibrant, inclusive, and commercially sustainable basketball culture in India.
