NEW DELHI, India, 28 April 2026: Kia India, one of the country’s leading mass-premium automakers, announced its partnership with HYBE INDIA, as the exclusive automotive partner for their first-ever large-scale auditions, aimed at discovering and launching India’s next global girl group. The collaboration brings together global entertainment and on-ground cultural engagement, creating a platform that connects young Indian talent to a wider international stage.
Kia India’s partnership with HYBE stems from its core brand ethos of being youthful, progressive, and culturally relevant. As a brand that has consistently connected with new-age audiences, this collaboration reflects Kia’s DNA of embracing creativity, self-expression, and global aspirations. By associating with a platform that nurtures emerging talent, Kia India aims to strengthen its connect with a generation that values identity, innovation, and cultural influence.
As part of HYBE’s globally proven ‘multi-home, multi-genre’ strategy, HYBE INDIA will localize the artist development approach, known for discovering, training, and building internationally successful acts, for India. With a legacy of shaping culturally influential artists the company now sets its sights on India to discover and develop the next generation of global stars, following the footsteps of acts like BTS and global girl group KATSEYE.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Atul Sood, Senior Vice President – Marketing & Sales, Kia India, said, “Kia India’s collaboration with HYBE INDIA reflects a shared understanding of how culture, creativity, and youth aspirations are evolving today. As a youthful and progressive brand, we are inherently aligned with the mindset of a new generation, and this partnership, a natural extension of this ethos, allows us to engage with a creative landscape where expression, identity, and global relevance are shaping aspirations. It reinforces our commitment to staying connected with the cultural pulse of our consumers and building a brand that is both future-ready and meaningful.”
“Our partnership with Kia India is driven by a shared vision to identify and empower emerging female talent in music and entertainment,” said Sarthak Arora, Head of Business Development at HYBE INDIA. “As youth aspirations continue to evolve with a growing emphasis on global perspectives, connectivity and a strong sense of self, this collaboration enables us to build a meaningful platform that helps further unlock India’s potential on a global stage.”
At the heart of this collaboration is the ‘Kia Engagement Zone’, uniquely housed inside the 2026 Kia Syros and set to feature at HYBE INDIA Pop-Up Parks across cities, positioning the model as the centerpiece of this initiative. This unique in-car content creation setup, in the Kia Syros, enables audiences to record and instantly create high-quality, shareable performance videos. The immersive experience transforms the vehicle into a space for creativity and self-expression, reinforcing Syros as a symbol of innovation, aspiration, and next-generation mobility.
Building on this experience on-ground, Kia India will amplify these experiences at the HYBE INDIA Pop-Up Parks across key cities, creating vibrant hubs for music, fandom, and youth culture. These activations will take place in Guwahati (02 May), Mumbai (09 May), Pune (16 May), Hyderabad (23 May), Bengaluru (30–31 May), and New Delhi (13–14 June), followed by on-ground auditions. Each location will prominently showcase the 2026 Kia Syros, seamlessly integrating the brand into the cultural experience while driving deeper engagement with young audiences.
The on-ground auditions will span 10 cities across India: Guwahati, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Chandigarh, alongside 5 key global stops targeting the India diaspora. In parallel, HYBE INDIA auditions will also be open online from March 31 to July 31, providing a global stage for Indian talent. Unlike traditional talent hunts, this initiative is designed to create a global pathway for Indian youth, enabling participants to move beyond local discovery to international opportunities.
This partnership reflects Kia India’s evolution as a future-ready brand that connects with youth beyond mobility. By engaging with ambition at its earliest stage, Kia is building deeper cultural relevance with a generation that values creativity, identity, and global exposure.
With this collaboration, Kia India reinforces its position as a young, progressive brand shaping culture and enabling journeys that go beyond the road. The company will continue to explore more such opportunities in the future to deepen its connect with new-age audiences and drive meaningful cultural engagement.
About Kia India
In April 2017, Kia India signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, to build a new manufacturing facility at Anantapur District. Kia commenced mass production in August 2019 and has an installed annual production capacity of 300,000 units. In April 2021, Kia India reimagined itself in line with its new brand identity, “Movement that Inspires,” aimed at offering customers meaningful experiences backed by innovative products and services. Under the new brand identity, Kia has set out to find ways to achieve new benchmarks and inspire consumers to be more and do more. Till date, Kia India has launched nine vehicles for the Indian market – the Seltos, the Syros, the Sonet, the Carens, the Carnival, the EV6, the EV9, the Carens Clavis, and the all-new Carens Clavis EV. Kia India has completed almost 1.5 million vehicle dispatches from its Anantapur plant, including over 1.2 million domestic sales and over 3.67 lakh exports. With more than 5+ lakh connected cars on Indian roads, it is among the connected Car leaders in the country. The brand has a widespread network of 866 touchpoints across 391 cities and is focused on strengthening its footprint across the country.
