By Lavina Melwani for the April issue of The Indian Express, North American Edition

There is a lot happening here in the Big Apple, and we don’t just mean the sad, bad news of the economic crisis. The Indian Express keeps an eye on all things that softly turned, while we rushed past, with this fortnightly column that carefully blends in the exclusive with the everyday.

THE world — it’s a shrinking! Indeed, in this globalized world, some Indian-Americans are making the reverse journey — back to the land of their parents, taking Americana with them. Who would have thought that the thoroughly American sport of basketball would now hit Indian streets?

Neel Pahlajani is a young Indian American who has ventured boldly into Cricket Country, proclaiming the wonders of basketball. Pahlajani, who is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon, was working in technology in New York when he decided to take the plunge and follow his hoops dream to India.

Pahlajani has started Hoops India, promoting basketball through tournaments and fun events. They have managed to get major sponsors including Nike and ESource to help popularize basketball in India. At a recent event in Noida, enthusiastic fans and media made it a fun event, with a Slam Dunk Contest, 3 Point Shootout, a Mobile Shoot Around, and a full court all-star game.

Hoops India is now taking the series to Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata and unearthing the local talent in a vibrant atmosphere with DJs, Hip-Hop music, film crews and fans swarming the place. “Hoops India is a movement to showcase the talent and excitement of the game in India,” says Pahlajani. “We are broadening the audience for the sport by appealing to those who may not be familiar with the game but are interested in Bollywood, music, fashion.”

Lavina Melwani is a New York based journalist who writes for several international publications. You can check out her webzine and daily blog at www.lassiwithlavina.com which launches this month.