HYBE Expands to India with New Headquarters Amid Bang Si-hyuk Probe

By Jieun, Baek

Sep 23, 2025

HYBE Expands to India with New Headquarters Amid Bang Si-hyuk Probe



Hive is taking on a new challenge amid owner risk.

On the 23rd, Hive completed registration of establishment of Hive India in Mumbai, India. It is the fifth time that Hive has established an overseas headquarters (HQ) after Hive Japan, Hive America, Hive Latin America and Hive China.

The mission of Hive India is 'WHERE VOICES OF INDIA BECOME GLOBAL STORIES'. It contains the ambition of discovering and fostering talented artists in India and connecting artists born with local senses with the world.




To this end, Hive India plans to select artists through local auditions and establish a training system optimized for India. It will also actively support the activities of existing Hive Music Group artists in India.

India, the world's largest country by population with a population of 1.46 billion, also has a large market in music. According to the Indian Chamber of Commerce (FICCI), it has 185 million streaming users, the second largest market in the world after the United States.

The popularity of K-pop is also growing rapidly. According to a survey by the Korea International Cultural Exchange Promotion Agency, K-pop music streaming in India surged 362% in 2023 compared to 2018. It is analyzed that demand for K-pop is also rapidly increasing thanks to the expansion of the Internet and smartphone penetration rate and improved access to streaming services.




HYBE Expands to India with New Headquarters Amid Bang Si-hyuk Probe
The establishment of Hive India is part of the 'Multi-home, Multi-genre' strategy to lead the local market by developing businesses tailored to the culture and characteristics of each region. The multi-home, multi-genre strategy, led by Chairman Bang Si-hyuk of Hive, focuses on discovering and fostering world-class local artists by incorporating the K-pop production system into the region. Based on Hive's 360-degree capabilities across the music industry, including artist discovery and development, record production, management, marketing, and performance planning, Hive India will introduce artists that will connect the local and global markets in India.

Meanwhile, Bang Si-hyuk was investigated as a second suspect by the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 22nd. Bang Si-hyuk is accused of deceiving existing investors to sell their shares to special purpose corporations related to him, as if he had no plans to disclose Hive in 2019, before the Hive listing, and after the Hive listing, he earned about 190 billion won in unfair profits, or 30% of the profits from the sale of Hive shares held by the special purpose corporation under a pre-signed shareholder contract. Bang Si-hyuk has denied all the allegations in this regard.





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