New Delhi, Aug. 31 -- The first time he played padel, Nikhil Sachdev was hooked. The competitive nature of the sport was one aspect of it. He also realised its social appeal and how it could bring people together.

When he jumped into the research, it was evident that the game was relatively new in India. He had his task cut out if he wanted to take it to the masses.

"The biggest challenge early on was awareness. While starting out, it was less about spotting a trend and more about committing to something before the trend existed. It comes with a different kind of pressure because you don't have validation to rely on," says Mumbai-based Sachdev, 44, co-founder of PadelPark India.

Setting up infrastructure was the first step, a significa...