Next Stop: The World — HYBE’s Latino Boyband And India Expansion Lead K‑Pop’s New Era

For more than a decade, K-Pop has exploded beyond South Korea and even Asia. In 2025, HYBE, the engine behind global hits like BTS, SEVENTEEN, ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM, KATSEYE, and more is shaking up the music world with bold moves in Latin America and India. These initiatives aren’t just business moves; they’re magnetic cultural landmarks, blending global talent with the polished K-Pop system.

Say hello to SANTOS BRAVOS, HYBE Latin America’s first-ever boy band, created in Mexico City. These Latino talents are being trained under rigorous K-Pop style standards while celebrating Latin rhythms, language and authenticity. Meanwhile, HYBE is also planting roots in Mumbai with a new Indian subsidiary, bringing K-Pop training and events to South Asia and igniting cross-cultural music exchanges.

This is more than expanding borders: it’s redefining what global pop looks like. HYBE’s approach now centers on collaborating, adapting and co-creating music that resonates across languages and cultures.

Perhaps the Bollywood stars of tomorrow will rise from this new K-Pop model.

Will Latin talents adapt to the intense multitasking it takes to reach stardom?

Time will tell but HYBE is already setting the stage.

HYBE Latin America: SANTOS BRAVOS, Latin Talent Meets K-Pop Training

In mid-2025, HYBE Latin America officially rolled out SANTOS BRAVOS, their first Latin boy band project shaped by the K-Pop training model at Mexico City’s Parque Bicentenario.

Sixteen contestants from Latin America, Spain and the U.S. were selected to join this venture. Many were already talented singers, dancers or social media influencers. Now they’re undergoing a four-month “creative bootcamp”: singing lessons, dance choreography, stage presence training, emotional coaching and mental-wellness support… All to prepare them for stardom.

Their development is guided by an all-star team: Kenny Ortega (director of “High School Musical” and “Descendants”), Johnny Goldstein (music producer for Shakira and Daddy Yankee), RAab Stevenson (vocal coach to RIhanna and Justin Timberlake) and showrunner Jaime Escallón (The X Factor). These experts mentor the trainees every step of the way.

Starting in August, fans can follow a YouTube reality series documenting weekly eliminations until the final members remain. The creative intent: transform the Latin pop scene with the K-Pop system while staying true to cultural roots and emotional storytelling.

To strengthen fan engagement, HYBE launched a free immersive space called “The HYBE Experience” in Mexico City from July to October. Fans can register on Weverse to visit; they’ll be able to record songs, attend dance rehearsals, create content, leave messages for the trainees, use the VR headsets for concert simulations and shop exclusive merchandise.

It’s a powerful step: transforming fans into participants and giving them a front-row seat into how idols are made.

Bang SiHyuk pointed out that SANTOS BRAVOS is not K-Pop in Spanish, it’s a new Latin pop identity built with HYBE’s training ethos: authenticity, emotional connection and pride in culture.

HYBE Builds a Regional Foundation in Latin America

HYBE Latin America was officially formed in late 2023, with offices in Mexico City, Los Angeles and Miami. The division also launched Docemil Music, under executive director Kah JongHyun (formerly YG Entertainment and Univision). Their vision: integrate the K-Pop structure into Latin music while honoring local talent and creativity.

The success of KATSEYE, HYBE’s global girl group produced outside of Asia, showed that the K-Pop system could yield worldwide appeal beyond Korea.

HYBE India: Entering Asia’s Music Giant

On June 20, 2025, HYBE confirmed plans to launch an Indian subsidiary by fall. This marks a critical expansion aligned with Chairman Bang’s “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy to adapt K-Pop’s artist-development model to markets like India.
To introduce HYBE to Indian fans, they hosted HYBE Cine Fest 2025, from July 10-12 in PVR INOX theaters across Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru. The event showcased exclusive concert films from BTS, TXT, SEVENTEEN and ENHYPEN.

They also offered HYBE Cinema Noraebang, a karaoke style experience where fans could sing along to hits from LE SSERAFIM, BOYNEXTDOOR and more, bringing K-Pop interaction into a cinema setting.

HYBE is transforming from a K-Pop giant into an architect of global artist-development across continents.

With SANTOS BRAVOS in Latin America and its upcoming Indian subsidiary, HYBE demonstrates how talent, training, storytelling and fandom can build a new pop culture language, one that speaks to millions, regardless of nationality.

What do you think of HYBE’s ambitious global journey? Think Bollywood or Latin pop stars will embrace the K-Pop system next?