Springboks legend Naas Botha has accepted a short-term appointment as India's head coach, as the national men's and women's rugby teams prepare for the Asia Rugby Championship in June.
Botha, the World Rugby Hall of Fame member who played for Northern Transvaal and South Africa, winning 28 Test Caps with the Springboks, heads up a four-strong coaching team.
Ludwiche Van Deventer has been appointed backs coach, with Currie Cup winners Christiaan Buitendach and Jannie Brooks in charge of the forwards and strength and conditioning respectively.
"We've taken them on to help with our high-performance and national teams," Nasser Hussain, general manager of Indian Rugby Football Union, told ESPN.
"We are also in discussions about a long term appointment.
"He's just finished a pre-camp with the men, and with the women he's starting tomorrow [April 1]."
"We're hoping we can build upon it for a longer period."
Former India player Rahul Bose, a Bollywood film actor, director, screenwriter and one of the most visible and vocal champions of rugby in the country, described Botha's appointment as "an indicator of how we treat the sport in the country".
"To have someone like Naas Botha, voted the best rugby player in the world four times, and his team working with us is an extraordinary privilege," Bose told ESPN.
"Naas had been traveling in and out of India for a while now, and we've been in touch with him through the entire period; and like most great rugby players, he's more than willing to serve the sport and share his expertise and knowledge.
"He's majorly doing this for the love of the game.
"Where else will you have a living legend come in unless you offer maybe astronomical fees?"
The appointment is not expected to impact on Botha's role with South African broadcaster SuperSport, Rapport newspaper has reported.