HYBE Opens Mumbai Office to Enter India’s $1.4B Music Market

• HYBE opens its fifth overseas HQ in Mumbai to tap into India’s vast music market.
• The BTS agency plans local auditions and training tailored to Indian culture.
• HYBE frames the move as part of its "multi-home, multi-genre" global strategy.

South Korean entertainment powerhouse HYBE, the brain behind BTS, has officially established a subsidiary in India. This decision is part of a broader global expansion strategy aimed at tapping into India’s $1.4 billion USD market. The move, announced in late September 2025, marks HYBE’s fifth overseas local headquarters and signals a long-term commitment to building artists and entertainment infrastructure tailored to India.

What HYBE is setting up in Mumbai

HYBE has registered a local entity, officially called "HYBE India Entertainment Private Limited", in Mumbai as its headquarters. According to Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea, the office will be a regional operation designed to scout, train, and develop talent for the Indian market with local sensibilities and the capacity to scale successful acts to global audiences.

The corporation’s Indian arm is the company’s fifth overseas local HQ after Japan, the U.S., China, and Latin America. HYBE said in its press release that its India expansion follows a “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy, adapting its production, training, and fandom platforms to local culture. Using its long-term K-pop trainee system which begins with audition, the company aims to develop talent for domestic first, then regional and global success.

How big is the Indian Market? 

India, the world's largest country by population, also has a large music market. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI), it has 185 million streaming users, and is the second largest market in the world after the United States.

Therefore, this market is a fit for HYBE’s “growth strategy.” The company also added in its statement, “The remarkable rise of K-pop in India highlights the country’s potential as a major market, and we are excited to expand our presence.”

HYBE’s timing follows a wider industry pivot toward India by global labels and promoters, who see opportunities in India’s large, digitally connected youth population and its fast-growing live-entertainment economy. The company’s ambition is to connect “the voice of India to the world,” reflecting both commercial and cultural intent.

For Indian artists and the industry, HYBE’s entry could mean increased investment in artist development, new production resources, and potential partnerships. The presence of a major K-pop infrastructure player could accelerate genre crossovers, collaborations, and export strategies for Indian acts, but will also invite scrutiny about cultural adaptation and the suitability of the K-pop “factory” model in a market with diverse languages and musical traditions.

Fans have already signaled enthusiasm online, and industry players are watching whether HYBE’s Mumbai office will eventually lead to large-scale concerts, localized group debuts, or cross-border productions. HYBE’s success in India will likely be measured not only by headline acts but by its ability to integrate into India’s complex cultural fabric and create sustainable careers for local artists.