▲ Image provided by Hybe. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- K-pop powerhouse Hybe said Tuesday it has established a local subsidiary, Hybe India, in Mumbai this month as part of its push to expand into the world’s most populous country.

The company’s fifth overseas branch after those in Japan, the United States, Latin America and China, Hybe India aims to discover and train local talent with the mission of making “the voice of India become the narrative of the world.” It plans to hold auditions, introduce a tailored training system and support activities of existing Hybe artists in the Indian market.

With a population of 1.46 billion and some 185 million streaming users — the second largest after the U.S. — India is seen as a key growth market for K-pop. According to the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, K-pop music streaming in India jumped 362 percent in 2023 compared with 2018.

“Mumbai, as a hub of Bollywood, modern art and performing arts, has emerged as a strategic base for global music and content companies,” Hybe said in a statement. It added the Indian unit is part of its “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy to tailor business operations to each region’s cultural characteristics.

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