K-pop giant HYBE has announced plans to establish an Indian subsidiary – find out more about the venture below.
Per a Soompi report, HYBE today (June 30) announced an expansion into India. While concrete details are not yet available, the company is reportedly “currently conducting local market research and handling the practicalities of setting up the corporation, with the goal of launching around September or October.”
According to Soompi, HYBE Chairman Bang Si Hyuk is personally overseeing the expansion through a “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy that will see different markets reflect its local cultures.
One instance is the success of HYBE’s expansion into the United States and the formation of the multi-cultural group KATSEYE, who have just released their second mini-album ‘Beautiful Chaos’.
Besides HYBE’s planned expansion into India, it’s also in the midst of firming up its bases in South America. Two audition programs are being run at HYBE South America in the hopes of forming a Latin boy group with K-pop influences and methodologies.
A representative of HYBE remarked: “The strategy of establishing footholds in major global music markets and applying this methodology is already producing results. It is predicted that if this trend continues, the landscape of the global music industry—currently dominated by the so-called global ‘Big Three’ businesses—will undergo a significant transformation.”
As for KATSEYE, the group recently spoke with NME on their new EP. On the topic of their evolution and where they’re heading in the future, Lara said: “I feel like soon we’re going to tap into more different genres, maybe like R&B, maybe even more dance-heavy. We’re gonna try a lot of different things. We’re all very inspired by Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and 2000s pop, so we’d love to experiment with that.”
Dani added: “I feel like it’s all [about] keeping the KATSEYE vibe within exploring different genres, which is really exciting, and then also bringing in the cultural elements, different languages maybe, instruments and choreography. We are really, really musical as people so I think we’re very open to trying anything. So we will be doing that!”
