Cinema VinesHYBE India, the Indian arm of the global entertainment powerhouse that launched BTS, has announced a nationwide search for the country’s first international pop girl group. The label is holding auditions across the nation to find young women who can become the face of a new music phenomenon that will bridge local talent with HYBE’s worldwide network.
CEO Damien Woochang Lee explained that India is not just another market for HYBE; it is one of the fastest‑growing and most culturally vibrant music ecosystems in the world. “Music is deeply woven into everyday life,” Lee said. “India’s extraordinary diversity of languages, traditions, and artistic expressions creates an environment unlike any other.” He added that the country’s music scene is shifting from a Bollywood‑centric model to a more open, genre‑fluid landscape driven by independent artists and evolving fan communities.
Lee cited HYBE’s recent success with the multinational girl group KATSEYE, which debuted in 2024 under the label’s ‘multi‑home, multi‑genre’ strategy. KATSEYE’s rise to the Billboard 200 and performances at Lollapalooza demonstrated that K‑pop could expand beyond its home borders. “We aim to nurture India’s evolving music ecosystem while connecting local talents to HYBE’s global network,” Lee said, hoping the new group will be rooted in Indian culture and empower the next generation of Indian artists.
The decision to launch with a girl group came after research that highlighted young Indian women as cultural trendsetters and among the most passionate music fans in the country. Lee noted that teens and twenties are “culturally engaged, creatively expressive, and emotionally invested.” He believes that a new female role model who looks like them, sounds like them, and shares their experiences could fill a gap in the industry. “There’s an opportunity for a new kind of female role model—someone who looks like them, sounds like them, and shares their experiences while representing those experiences on the global stage,” Lee said.
Auditions are open to women aged 16 to 21 from all over India. Lee said the talent pool has impressed the label with its range and versatility, especially the vocal abilities of the candidates. HYBE India is poised to launch a group that could redefine the global pop landscape while showcasing the rich diversity of Indian music and culture.
