Around the time of the 2008 launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL), billionaire Anand Mahindra was requested to spend money on the now-hugely profitable short-format cricket match that reworked the worldwide fortunes of the game.

The tycoon, who heads the automotive and industrial conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., wasn’t significantly keen on what he thought-about a boring, passive self-importance challenge. But it did spark an thought.