K-pop giant HYBE to hold auditions in Guwahati as India talent hunt begins

HYBE, the South Korean entertainment powerhouse behind global superstars BTS, is bringing its artist discovery programme to Guwahati — a significant moment for the Northeast as the company launches its most ambitious push into the Indian talent market yet.

The company's Indian arm, HYBE India, has confirmed that in-person auditions will be held across ten cities, with Guwahati joining major hubs such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Pune. Online auditions will run alongside the offline rounds, though exact dates, eligibility criteria, and registration details are yet to be announced.

The move follows growing institutional interest in Assam's potential as a destination for international entertainment. Padmapani Bora, Managing Director of Assam Tourism, confirmed recently that last year he had met with a HYBE representative in Guwahati to explore possibilities in artist development and large-scale concert events — discussions he described as part of the state's broader effort to position itself on the global music map.

HYBE India, which set up its Mumbai headquarters in September last year — the company's fifth international base after Japan, the United States, Latin America, and China — says the auditions mark its formal entry into India's talent ecosystem. The company is applying what it calls a "multi-home, multi-genre" strategy, adapting the same rigorous training model responsible for launching BTS and girl group KATSEYE to an Indian context.

"HYBE India will localise the artist development approach — known for discovering, training, and building internationally successful acts — for India," the company said in a statement. Successful candidates will be offered a place within HYBE's training and production pipeline, with the prospect of representing India on the global stage.

The timing is notable. HYBE's announcement comes fresh off BTS's comeback album Arirang, which has renewed global attention on the group. Indian fans had already seen a taste of what HYBE could bring to their shores when singer Jungkook's GOLDEN: The Moments exhibition was hosted in Mumbai in December — the first official BTS-related experience on Indian soil.

India's growing footprint in Korean pop has added further weight to the auditions. Tamil-American singer Lara Raj, a member of HYBE's own KATSEYE, is of Indian origin. Sriya Lenka from Odisha is a member of BLACKSWAN, and Aria, also of Indian origin, performs with K-pop group X:IN — a string of breakthroughs that has sharpened expectations for what this latest talent hunt might uncover.

With one of the world's largest and most passionate K-pop fanbases and a deep well of untapped performing talent, India — and Guwahati in particular — now sits firmly in HYBE's sights.