The dream began during the 1999 World Cup and last summer's Indian tour began to make it reality. And now the Bharat Army will be arriving in force at a cricket match near you. This army's only firepower is whistles, klaxons, dhols (two-headed drums), and flags. It is run by an investment manager, a property developer and two IT consultants – all British Asians. For now it is a small but rapidly expanding private club, with the only criteria for membership being a passion for Indian cricket and decent behaviour. Exuberant yes, loutish no. "We believe we are dynamic, innovative, and imaginative, more so than similar supporters' clubs from other nations," says Shai Tank, the investment manager. "We want to promote the passion that is such a vital part of Indian and all Asian cricket. We don't think that cricket should be watched in the tea-sipping way. At the same time we want to promote the right face of Indian cricket. We have already had a lot of support and that is just by word of mouth."

Like most ventures these days this vision of a Bharat Army following India around the globe begins with a website and a business plan, which, given the professions of the founder members, is no problem. Bharatarmy.com will aim to bring together all the strands of Indian cricket: selling merchandise, providing statistics, match reports and ball-by-ball commentary, which the four of them will initially produce themselves. And they will organise tours.

"From now on we will be sending a group to every Indian series, home and away, and it will normally include one of the founder members," says Tank. "The website will give supporters' guides to tours, such as the World Cup, and will have information on the events that we are organising. We're arranging a charity function with our Australian counterparts during the World Cup and we also plan to do something similar with the Barmy Army next summer."

The charities that benefit will be Indian. The Bharat Army is keen to stay close to its Indian roots and within armpit-sniffing distance of the Indian board. Tank speaks with conviction of their ambition to become the official supporter's club of Indian cricket, fully recognised by and affiliated to the Indian board. The venture is not just for the NRIs (non-resident Indians), it also targets the masses at home. This fits perfectly with the philosophy of the Bharat Army, whose founders are never happier than when they are at the centre of a singing, dancing throng of Indian cricket fans. And that is where they found themselves at India's matches last summer, beating their dhol and waving their 30ft Indian flag that had "Bharat Barmy Army" splashed across the middle.

Since then they have expunged "barmy" from their title, reluctant to share any stigma of bad behaviour either real or imagined. A clean image is a vital component of this project and Tank wants to keep a database of registered members so that they can promote good behaviour and dissociate themselves from any unsavoury elements. Clearly, the bigger they become the more difficult it will be to preserve this record. But at least they recognise an impending hurdle.

While unwilling to support publicly policies that the Indian board opposes, such as touring Pakistan, the Bharat Army wants to open a constructive dialogue with the Indian board so that the fans' voices can be heard in a recognised forum. "No other supporters' club is recognised by its board and we want to be unique," says Tank. The Bharat Army must be the first such club to have a mission statement. It features their determination to preserve the spirit of the game and highlights their desire to promote the game at all levels. Tank would like to see profits ploughed back into grass roots cricket in India and to know that they have made a positive contribution. There is also a strong desire to distance themselves from jingoism. It is a united India that they want to promote, not any particular religious or ethnic group.

"We aren't interested in personal glory," says Tank. "All Bharat Army members are equally important. We'd like to be seen as a passionate but truly sporting supporters' club. The team ethic is therefore as important off the field as it is on it."

It is ambitious and noble but passion lies at the heart of it. If it were not for the magnetism of Solid (Rahul Dravid), Zak (Zaheer Khan), Viru, Tendu and the new boys, the Bharat Army would not exist. This year's success has filled Indian fans with pride and hope and the Bharat Army is intent on expressing it.

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