Hybe India

Photo Credit: Multinational K-pop girl group Katseye, who were created using Hybe’s idol nurturing system, for 티비텐 TV10 / CC by 3.0

Hybe officially establishes its fifth overseas unit in India as part of its strategy to expand and globalize its K-pop idol nurturing system.

South Korean entertainment powerhouse Hybe has established its fifth overseas unit in Mumbai, part of its strategy to further expand and globalize its system for nurturing K-pop idol talent. Hybe India Entertainment plans to discover local talent through nationwide auditions and incubate the winners in a training system tailored to the Indian market.

According to the company, with the mission of “Where voices of India become global stories,” the launch of its Indian unit is part of its founder and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy. It also follows the establishment of local units in the U.S., Japan, Latin America, and China.

“Hybe India will introduce artists who will connect the local Indian market with the global market, leveraging Hybe’s full-spectrum capabilities across the music industry, from talent discovery and development to album production, management, marketing, and concert planning,” said a Hybe official.

With a population of 1.46 billion and 185 million music streaming users, India is the world’s second-largest music streaming market after the United States, according to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry. The region is ripe for global K-pop expansion; streaming of Korean pop music in the country exploded by an impressive 362% between 2018 and 2023, according to the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange.

On the American front, Hybe’s partnership with Paramount Pictures has led to a finalized cast for their upcoming K-pop musical drama. Among the actors joining the cast include Ji-young Yoo (Kpop Demon Hunters), Sung Jun (Ghost Mansion), Hyongchol Lee (XO, Kitty), Eric Nam (The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender), Tony Revolori (Spider-Man), and Gia Kim (XO, Kitty).

New to the cast are singer Ahin Lee, actor and singer Renata Vaca, musician and actor Silia Kapsis (the youngest performer in Eurovision 2024 at age 17), Aliyah Turner, Shana Kim, and Jubi Park.

The film will be directed by Benson Lee (Seoul Searching), with a plot revolving around a young Korean American woman who defies her family by competing in a televised competition to find the next K-pop girl group.

The first major American studio film to be shot entirely in South Korea, the project is currently in production and slated for a theatrical release on February 12, 2027.

Producers include James Shin of Hybe America, Arthur Spector and Joshua Davis of Epic Magazine, and former Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun. Executive producers include Joshuah Bearman of Epic Magazine, John Zaozirny, and Scott Manson. On behalf of Paramount, the company’s Senior VP of Production, Bryan Oh, is overseeing the production.

Originally, the film was set up at 20th Century Studios and has been in the works since 2020. Former Paramount Motion Picture Group President Michael Ireland oversaw the project during its development at 20th Century Studios and acquired the film from Disney before bringing it to Paramount.

Hybe’s Indian unit is expected to provide a platform for its artists to enter and expand in the Indian market.