“There is a kind of appeal of South Korean culture"
A decade ago, the idea of teenagers in Delhi or Bengaluru passionately singing along to Korean lyrics might have seemed improbable. Today, it is an undeniable reality, with K-pop reshaping the country’s youth.
The Korean Wave, or ‘Hallyu’, has swept across the nation, evolving from a niche interest into a dominant force influencing playlists, fashion, and even dinner tables.
This is a profound cultural shift, powered by meticulously produced music, captivating visuals, and a revolutionary approach to fan engagement.
The palpable energy of K-pop is evident on city streets, across university campuses, and in the endless scroll of social media, signifying a deep cross-cultural connection.
This movement has effectively blurred geographical and linguistic lines.
As a result, it has created a global community with a shared passion, and its rise is a masterclass in modern cultural dissemination that has firmly captured the heart of India.
Early Beginnings to ‘Gangnam Style’
Long before K-pop became a household name, its melodies found a quiet home in India’s northeastern states.
In the early 2000s, with a ban on Hindi channels in states like Manipur, many in the region began looking for fresh cultural alternatives.
They found it in Korean dramas and music, planting the very first seeds of Hallyu in Indian soil.
But the big boom came in 2012 with PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’.
Loud, chaotic and a viral dance, the song topped charts and broke YouTube records, becoming the platform’s first video to reach one billion views.
On Reddit, many Indians believe the song remains one of K-pop’s best.
“Call me outdated but only ‘Gangnam Style’ was good from K-pop.”
Another comment read: “PSY cooked real hard on that one.”
The impact of ‘Gangnam Style’ was undeniable, sparking a curiosity that would soon turn into a national obsession.
Clicks, Streams & Stan Culture
The true catalyst for K-pop’s arrival in India was the digital revolution.
The explosion of affordable internet and smartphones across India put the world’s content into the hands of millions.
Platforms like YouTube became the gateway.
Through their screens, a new generation of fans discovered the hypnotic choreography, high-fashion music videos, and magnetic personalities of groups like BTS and BLACKPINK.
However, some argue that India’s K-pop interest is centred only around certain groups.
One person wrote on Reddit: “I don’t think K-pop as a genre is popular but more like some top groups surely are.”
Another commented: “Very popular in big cities but not so much away from big cities.”
But others pointed out that K-pop’s fandom in India is high, with some people’s love for the genre bordering on excessive, as a Reddit user opined:
“K-pop fans in general either have the best (unhinged fun) or worst (dumpster-fire toxic) kind of the ’tism, there is no in-between.”
Another said: “It’s super popular among girls in the 8-16 age bracket in urban India. The BLACKPINK tour was played in cinemas. My daughter and her entire girl gang went crazy for it.”
This digital access gave birth to powerful, organised fan communities, better known as ‘stan culture’.
These aren’t just passive listeners. They are active warriors for their idols, organising streaming parties to boost chart numbers, coordinating social media hashtags to trend worldwide, and translating content for a wider audience.
This fan-driven, grassroots movement is what makes India’s Hallyu wave so unique.
The results are mind-boggling, with India now firmly established as a top-tier global market for K-pop, generating billions of streams annually.
K-Lifestyle
K-pop’s influence in India now stretches far beyond music; it has become a vibrant gateway to the entire spectrum of Korean culture.
The most visible sign of this is the K-beauty boom.
Inspired by the flawless ‘glass skin’ of their favourite idols, millions of Indians have adopted multi-step skincare routines. Brands like Laneige and Cosrx have gone from niche imports to bathroom staples.
This is big business, with the K-beauty user base in India projected to explode to over 27 million by 2030.
Then there are the K-dramas.
Viewers have fallen in love with their unique format and storytelling, with the likes of Squid Game and Queen of Tears captivating audiences across India and the world.
Even the Indian palate is changing. There has been a staggering 400% jump in the sales of Korean instant noodles since 2021.
This widespread embrace of Korean fashion, language, and food shows that K-pop has become an engine of ‘soft power’ that has made Korean culture an exciting part of the modern Indian lifestyle.
Sripriya Ranganathan, India’s ambassador to South Korea, told Al Jazeera:
“There is a kind of appeal of South Korean culture… a kind of familiarity [with] all the aspects of South Korean culture which is what has made them [K-dramas] such a hit.”
India’s Own K-pop Stars
For years, the relationship between India and K-pop was that of consumption. Now, it is evolving into one of creation, as Indian talent begins to take the stage in South Korea.
A shining example of this shift is Aria, a member of the multinational K-pop girl group X:IN.
Hailing from Kerala, the artist made her debut in 2023, becoming the second Indian national to officially enter the highly competitive K-pop industry.
Her journey, which started with a career as a child actress in Malayalam cinema and led to a rigorous training period in Korea, has inspired countless aspiring artists back home.
She follows in the footsteps of Odisha’s Sriya Lenka, who became the first Indian K-pop idol after joining the group BLACKSWAN.
Their presence in popular groups not only represents a personal triumph but also signals a deepening integration between the two cultures, moving beyond fandom to direct participation and representation on a global stage.
K-pop’s journey in India is a compelling testament to its universal appeal and the unifying power of the digital age.
From its quiet beginnings in niche communities to its current status as a mainstream cultural juggernaut, the movement has consistently defied expectations.
It has offered Indian youth more than just music; it has provided a vibrant global community, a distinct aesthetic, and a message of self-love and empowerment that resonates deeply in a rapidly changing world.
The Hallyu wave has been welcomed in, and its heartbeat now echoes strongly across the subcontinent.
Loading ...