South Korean entertainment giant HYBE Labels, the powerhouse behind global superstars BTS, has officially established a subsidiary in India, marking its latest ambitious move to expand the K-pop business model into one of the world's most promising yet challenging markets. The company announced the launch of its Indian operations on Tuesday, positioning the move as a "key addition" to its global strategic map aimed at accelerating "the creation of a worldwide K-pop ecosystem."
This expansion into India represents the continuation of HYBE's "multihome, multigenre" strategy, a philosophy that company chairman Bang Si-hyuk has long championed as essential for K-pop's global survival and growth. The strategy involves adapting the proven K-pop industry model across different genres and geographical markets while building localized bases that cater to regional cultures and music industries. HYBE has already established successful operations in Japan, the United States, Latin America, and China before setting its sights on the Indian subcontinent.
The company's approach involves producing and managing artists using typical K-pop methodologies while extending its intellectual properties into new territories. A prime example of this strategy in action is KATSEYE, the global girl group created through a collaboration between HYBE America and Geffen Records. While the group's members don't explicitly brand themselves as K-pop idols, they closely follow many K-pop conventions, including appearances on Korean music shows and the tightly managed performance style that has helped propel K-pop to international fame.
India presents an exceptionally attractive market opportunity due to its compelling demographics and growing digital consumption patterns. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion people and an average age of 29, India's demographic profile aligns perfectly with K-pop's core audience of young consumers. The country also boasts one of the world's largest music streaming markets, with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry reporting more than 185 million streaming users, making it the second-largest streaming market globally after the United States.
The demand for K-pop content specifically has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. According to a report by the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, K-pop streaming in India surged by an impressive 362 percent between 2018 and 2023. Industry analysts attribute this explosive growth to several factors, including rising internet and smartphone penetration rates across the country, as well as improved access to global streaming services that make Korean content more readily available to Indian consumers.
The financial potential of the Indian market adds another layer of appeal for HYBE's expansion plans. A report released in April by the Korea International Trade Association estimated India's digital media industry revenue at 13 trillion won ($9.3 billion) in 2024, with projections indicating this figure could reach 15 trillion won by the end of this year. Unlike North America and Southeast Asia, where Korean entertainment firms have already established significant presences, India remains relatively untapped, representing one of the last major frontier markets for expansion.
HYBE has articulated a clear mission for its Indian subsidiary, summarized in the phrase "Where voices of India become global stories." The company plans to discover and nurture talented local artists, develop them using Indian aesthetic sensibilities, and then connect them to audiences around the world. The Indian branch will recruit artists through local auditions and establish a comprehensive training system specifically optimized for the Indian market, while also supporting existing HYBE artists' promotional activities and expanding their presence throughout the region.
However, industry insiders caution that this significant opportunity comes with equally substantial challenges that HYBE must navigate carefully. "India has long been seen as a risky bet because its domestic entertainment industry, led by Bollywood, is so dominant," explained one Korean music industry official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "But with K-pop artists now more active globally, entry might have become easier than before. At the same time, Korea will need to pay close attention to respecting India's cultural diversity."
Past incidents involving K-pop groups have highlighted the potential risks of cultural missteps in the Indian market. In 2020, BLACKPINK's music video for "How You Like That" generated significant backlash after an image resembling the Hindu deity Ganesha appeared in the background. Some Indian fans expressed that their religious faith had been "trivialized" as a pop-culture prop, prompting the group's agency, YG Entertainment, to publicly acknowledge the inclusion as an "oversight" and issue an apology.
That same year, boy band Seventeen faced similar criticism when members performed "Curry," a song by Korean duo Norazo, in a self-produced video that some viewers interpreted as mocking Indian culture. These incidents underscore the delicate balance international entertainment companies must strike when entering culturally diverse markets like India.
Cultural critic Kim Hern-sik has warned that such missteps demonstrate the high stakes involved in directly entering the Indian market. "From a cultural appropriation perspective, K-pop has improved significantly through past experiences," he noted. "But as the industry ventures into India, caution remains necessary. More examples of collaboration that genuinely respect and adapt to local traditions need to emerge for sustainable success in this crucial market."
