HYBE Officially Announces Entry into India via “K-Pop Methodology” Export Strategy…Local Subsidiary to Be Established Between September and October 2025

South Korea’s major entertainment company HYBE has officially announced its plans to enter the Indian market. A HYBE spokesperson stated, “We are actively conducting market research and setting up logistics, with the goal of launching a new subsidiary in India between September and October 2025.” This move is part of Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s vision to export the K-Pop methodology and represents the next phase of its “Multi-home, Multi-genre” strategy, which aims to apply the K-Pop business model to other regions and music genres. HYBE’s entry into India was officially confirmed following reports last month, and the company plans to identify and develop local talent in India’s market, which has a population of approximately 1.4 billion people. The HYBE spokesperson explained, “Our expansion strategy in India is driven by Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s vision to export the K-Pop methodology, reflecting his conviction that the K-Pop business model must be applied to other genres to ensure sustained growth.” Additionally, HYBE said, “Our strategy of establishing a presence in major music markets across all regions and applying this methodology is yielding results,” and it cited Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s prediction that if current trends continue, the landscape of the global music market, currently dominated by the big three global companies, will change significantly. HYBE’s “K-Pop methodology” refers to a comprehensive system for discovering fanbases and creating super IPs, going beyond merely a music genre. A HYBE official explained, “Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s philosophy is that K-Pop should not simply mean a pop music genre; rather, it should become a methodology for accurately understanding public preferences and creating super IPs based on super fans.” HYBE’s global expansion strategy has already achieved success in various regions. In the United States, it successfully debuted the six-member international girl group KATSEYE based in Los Angeles in 2024. Born from a partnership between HYBE and Geffen Records of Universal Music Group, KATSEYE entered the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart Top 100 with its digital single “Gnonli,” released in April. HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang evaluated KATSEYE as having had the best year in 2024 with their album “SIS,” noting that their title track “Touch” stayed on the Billboard Bubblegum Under Hot 100 for two weeks and on the Global Song Chart for 13 consecutive weeks. Efforts to localize the “K-Pop methodology” are also underway in Latin America. HYBE is collaborating with Mexico’s largest broadcaster, Televisa, to produce a band audition show titled “Pase a la Fama,” and it is holding additional auditions to form a Latin boy band. Participants receive mentorship and training in the K-Pop style, marking the first application of the K-Pop training system to the Latin music industry. HYBE acquired the Latin music label AXEL MUSIC in 2023. In Japan, the boy group &TEAM, which debuted in December 2022 under HYBE, has achieved success by receiving all record certifications from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), ranging from gold to platinum. HYBE’s YX label recently launched the seven-member Japanese boy band AOEN, who were selected through Japan’s TV audition show “Cheer High: Dreams Start Line” and debuted at number one on the Oricon chart in June. Since 2021, HYBE has expanded its presence in the global music industry by acquiring U.S. music label Itaca Holdings, which manages artists such as Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, and hip-hop label QC Media Holdings, which represents artists like Lil Baby and Migos. In April of this year, it launched a subsidiary in China, one of the world’s five major music markets. With its entry into India, part of efforts to promote a Korea-Japan economic alliance, HYBE’s global strategy has reached a new level. Once its operations in India are fully established, HYBE will have business hubs in five major global markets: South Korea, China, Japan, the United States, Latin America, and India. This development is seen as an ambitious move by HYBE to use its K-Pop methodology, which has produced global superstars such as BTS, ENHYPEN, and SEVENTEEN, to transform the landscape of the world music industry.