HYBE Is Taking Its K-Pop Development Model to India

Add HYBE, the K-pop giant behind BTS, to the list of companies putting down roots in India, a fast-growing music market and the world’s second-most-populous country. The South Korean company announced Monday (June 30) that it is currently “conducting local market research” in advance of launching an Indian division in either September or October. 

In seeking a local approach to breaking an Indian act, HYBE is employing tactics honed in its home country and exported around the world. According to the press release, chairman Bang Si-hyuk is personally overseeing the company’s “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy, an approach to global expansion that emphasizes localization and adaptation to specific markets.

The strategy can be seen in the U.S. with HYBE America’s joint venture with Geffen Records that produced the multinational girl group KATSEYE. The company also employs the “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy in Latin America. Following its 2023 acquisition of Exile Music, which was rebranded as HYBE Latin America, HYBE has two artist discovery processes in the region: one through an audition show, Pase a la Fama, broadcast on Telemundo, and the other through a separate reality TV series. In both cases, HYBE will implement the same method of artist training and development that it used for its K-pop groups at home. 

With a population of 1.4 billion and a massive middle class, India ranked No. 15 on the IFPI’s list of recorded music markets in 2024. A huge streaming market and a small but growing number of subscribers have helped attract HYBE’s peers. In April, Reservoir Media announced the creation of PopIndia, a Mumbai-based subsidiary that will sign and develop regional talent. Primary Wave has a partnership with Times Music — a subsidiary of a leading Indian record label and music publisher — that resulted in the acquisitions of two Indian record labels, Symphony Recording Co. and ARC Musicq, in March.

Warner Music Group (WMG) has also made inroads in India. In April, the company announced a joint venture, 5 Junction Records, that will help bring South Asian artists to North American listeners. Previously, WMG acquired a majority stake in music and digital media company Divo, took a minority stake in Indian live entertainment and ticketing platform SkillBox, and expanded its partnership with Global Music Junction.