India to soon have its own K-pop bands backed by BTS' agency: Will HYBE's big bet challenge Bollywood's reign?
India's live music scene has exploded in recent years. Concert culture has hit new highs, with international artistes packing venues. In 2024 alone, the live events segment shot past Rs 12,000 crore, with a projected CAGR of 19% over the next three years. And 2025's already lining up multiple K-pop stadium headliners. But this isn't just about global acts rolling through. It's about India ready to have its own wave of I-pop. Here's how it's about to play out.
Also read: BTS' Jimin said he felt 'suffocated' listening to RM's track, knew something was wrong: 'I wonder what kind of jerks he's met'
When HYBE expanded into America under Scooter Braun, it launched the girl group Katseye in 2024, teaming up with Geffen Records (Universal Music Group). The idol selection process followed the same high-stakes model as Korea, members picked through a survival series. For Katseye, it was The Debut: Dream Academy. The group features members of mixed nationalities, American, Filipino, Swiss-Italian/Ghanaian, Indian-American, Chinese-Singaporean, and Korean. They operated from LA, but the method is all K-pop. There's more coming, like the upcoming U.S. boy group HYBE is building with Ryan Tedder. The Grammy-winning producer behind hits for Beyoncé and Adele is developing a male counterpart to Katseye, aiming to create a next-gen U.S. boy group. Moreover, a Latin American boy group, Santos Bravos, is also in the pipeline.
Take a look at HYBE Japan, they've already rolled out Japanese boy groups like &TEAM and aoene. Both exploded to fame from day one, and every single release since has crushed the charts, overshadowing local acts. Now, with India next in line for its own HYBE subsidiary, we're just days away from seeing the first real India x K-pop collab take shape.
Also read: Korean Rock band Catch The Young says Indian beats could inspire next-gen rock: 'Imagine a progressive twist'
India's always been a stronghold for homegrown music, with Bollywood running the show. With large-scale K-pop concerts on the horizon, featuring HYBE's top-tier acts like BTS, SEVENTEEN, NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, ENHYPEN, TXT, and others, the battle for dominance is just getting started. Earlier, a HYBE spokesperson in astatement said, 'We're actively conducting market research and working on the logistics for the Indian subsidiary,' adding that the expansion is 'driven by Chairman Bang Si Hyuk's vision to export K-pop methodologies globally.'
In 2025, India ranked as the 15th largest recorded music market in the world (IFPI). With the world's biggest youth population, HYBE sees India as more fertile ground for K-pop than anywhere else. A spokesperson confirmed that the India venture will likely follow the same localisation playbook. As one executive put it: 'To win globally, you have to go local, and K-pop's entire success hinges on knowing its audience inside out.'
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