How does one get discovered to become a music star in India? For legions of young K-pop fans in India, the origin stories of their favourite idols, from rising through South Korea’s underground rap scene to being scouted by casting agents on the streets of their hometowns, have always held a near-mythical appeal.
Over the last three months, many fans have gotten to try their hand at giving the pop star dream a shot. Hybe, the global entertainment company behind K-Pop groups like BTS, TXT and LESSERAFIM, recently concluded a multi-city audition process through Hybe India to scout for aspiring musical talent in India, across cities, to form an India-based global girl group.
The response for the in-person auditions — which were held through April, May and June in Chennai, Mumbai, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Delhi and other cities — was much higher than their expectations, says Damien Woochang Lee, CEO, Hybe India. “If you look at our posts on Instagram, we have so many people pointing out that they found it hard to get a slot to audition. We are very grateful for the belief they have in our program, the training and music development we believe in,” he says.
Damien Woochang Lee
| Photo Credit:
Nishikant Gamre Photography
Reflecting on the auditions, which he says went ‘spectacularly well’, Damien further points out that there was also an option to apply and submit audition tapes online, which many young aspiring artistes used. Hybe’s internal talent development and casting teams, which include music professionals, leadership teams, and experienced casting partners like Panchami Ghavri from India (who has worked on casting for films such as Geheraiyaan and Kapoor & Sons), have been involved in the audition process. The result, Damien says, is a group that is Indian at its core, but a music act that resonates globally.
“It was important for us to have a diverse approach to ensure that candidates are evaluated holistically across key areas such as talent, performance, and long-term development. While I understand that an audition might be a short window for a candidate to prove themselves, the most important area we look for is potential, and then we take it from there,” Damien says.
The audition process will be followed by the announcement of the chosen candidates and will then lead to a rigorous training period, much like what K-pop idols go through before they make their music debut.
The decision to hold auditions in India and debut a global girl group comes on the heels of the success of Los Angeles-based HYBE girl group KATSEYE, as well as the growing popularity of the company’s K-pop acts LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT. Earlier this year, all three groups collaborated on the single ‘Iconic By Mistake,’ underscoring HYBE’s push to build a connected global pop ecosystem.
The India chapter
Hybe India set up its headquarters in Mumbai in September last year, marking the company’s fifth international hub after Japan, the US, Latin America and China. Damien notes that while music consumption in India pre-COVID was highly bent towards film music, there has been a sharp increase in the consumption of independent music through streaming platforms, thanks to the evolving tastes of younger listeners, which continued post-pandemic.
“This change in music consumption behaviour, the subsequent expanding love towards K-Pop and our Hybe groups in general, and the fact that India has always been an exciting music market for us all contributed towards us coming here,” he says.
Le Sserafim
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
In June this year, Le Sserafim collaborated with Punjabi singer-songwriter Guru Randhawa on the track ‘Boompala’, and while this generated considerable excitement about whether Hybe’s presence in India would lead to more such cross-cultural collaborations in the future, the focus at present is on the recently concluded auditions and on discovering, developing and launching new talent.
“Our priority right now is to bolster a strong foundation for this artist development ecosystem in India through auditions, but eventually we will look to sign Indian artists. While we are excited for cross-cultural collaborations, we also want to do them only when there is a need and the right purpose, and not just for the sake of it” he adds.
SUGA, V, JUNG KOOK, JIMIN, JIN, RM, J-HOPE at BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang at Gwanghwamun Square in March
| Photo Credit:
BIGHIT MUSIC AND NETFLIX
And with BTS currently on their mega Arirang world tour, we have to ask: is India going to be a possible tour stop?
“While I cannot comment on anything at the moment, I would like to say that I am trying,” Damien says. “India is one of the most exciting live music markets in the world today, and we have seen tremendous growth in fan engagement and demand for global artists. We absolutely recognise the enthusiasm of Indian fans for BTS and other HYBE artists, and we are actively exploring opportunities to bring more fan experiences and global artists to India over time,” he adds.
Published – August 05, 2026 02:12 pm IST
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