All India K-Pop Contest 2025: Delhi Regionals

Writer: Bharti Ratra (Delhi, India)

Editor: Ankita Panda (Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

The Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) — the cultural arm of the South Korean embassy in India— has been at the head of promoting K-pop and South Korean traditional culture, language, and art across India through various events, workshops, and film screenings. On June 29th, 2025 (Sunday, 4:00 PM), the All India K-Pop Contest 2025 took place in New Delhi, marking its 15th year of the event, but thanks to the excitement and energy from both participants and the audience, it still feels new every time. 

The All-India K-Pop Contest 2025 expanded its category of performances by adding a rap segment alongside dance and vocals. This makes the event all the more special and entertaining while attracting new talents to participate in the K-pop contest, showing the growing interest in K-pop in India among all fans.

A total of 1,278 performers registered for the online round with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement, but only 111 contestants were selected for the K-pop Delhi Regional round. KCCI ended the regional round of the contest in India with a closing ceremony, and now all performers, vibrant attendees, and the audience are waiting for the All-India K-pop Grand Finale.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE FACES BEHIND THE EVENT

The event was skilfully hosted and presented by Ms. Mehak Kathuria, whose presence of mind and energy towards the contest energized the audience. She was supported by the friendly and hardworking team from the Korean Culture Centre India fan club, including Ms. Isha Sharma, Ms. Ekta Aggarwal, Ms. Yumna, Ms. Indu Sharma, Ms. P. Shruti, and Ms. Yashmita. Their hard work and love for South Korea made the event night more grand and exhilarating!

Powerful and energetic performances lit up the whole event. From the first performance, the first beat, and till the very end, the entire venue was alive with the vibrant energy of K-pop, remarkable talent, and various fandoms uniting for their shared love for Korean culture.

WHO ARE THE SUPER-TALENTED JUDGES?

Meet the Vocal & Rap Category Judges:

Ms. Iliyana Gogoi: A well-known artist who secured 3rd place at the Delhi regional in 2020 and 2nd place in the Mumbai regional in 2021. A singer, songwriter, vocal coach, and performer, she worked with Sony Music, Gaana, and Kingfisher and appeared on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs.

Ms. Jennifer Joseph: The winner of the Chennai regional round 2022 — Jennifer is a music producer, songwriter, and vocalist, with projects ranging from Yamaha Voiceovers to independent production.

Meet the Dance Category Judges:

Ms. Vani Thareja: From the We Are Family crew, she was the Delhi regional champion in 2018 and the K-pop contest grand finale winner the same year. Her crew was also placed 4th in the international hip-hop competition.

Ms. Rachna Bhagat: A member of the Lokalz crew, Rachna was the Delhi regional champion and grand final winner in 2019. She became the top highlight of the contest.

Their deep understanding of vocal and dance techniques and their vibrant presence brought both energy and encouragement to every act.

SOME UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS

The performance of IU’s Love Wins All and Roy Kim’s Only Then created heartfelt emotions among the audience, while BTS’s Danger broke the stage with a huge, charismatic performance. A double surprise, showcased with the performance of Chk Chk Boom by Stray Kids, shook the stage with its raw energy.

VOCAL PERFORMANCES

Delhi round highlights this year featured 16 vocal performances, with commanding energy, clarity, and fluency in every lyric! Some of the outstanding performers include Anya Singh, Pragati Singh, Karthika Pillai, Simran Ghora, and Angel Sharma. From Momoland’s Bboom Bboom by Simran Ghora to IU’s Love Wins All by Purnima Saren, each voice brought a soulful and unique essence to the stage. 

The title of the winner was secured by Vidya R. Guar, who gave an incredible performance that stunned the entire venue. Unnati Singh Bilwal took the second position, while Prachi Sharma secured the third position. 

RAP PERFORMANCES

Making a bold debut, a brand-new addition this year — the rap category featured 3 dynamic contestants who performed with all their hearts and quickly became crowd favorites. Saanvi Chawala showed a powerful performance with I Got It by Han of Stray Kids, Vidhi Sharma delivered sharp verses of ZOO by NCT & Aespa, and finally, Govind Prasad Kaushik impressed the crowd and judges with Agust D by SUGA. This exciting category became the new favorite among all the fandoms. 

Saanvi Chawala was declared the winner of the Rap Category because of her commanding performance. Vidhi Sharma secured the second position, and Govind Kaushik took the third. 

DANCE PERFORMANCES

The Delhi round showcased 17 powerful acts this year — from soloists to large groups, each person owned the stage with their talent and made an unforgettable impact. The groups that left a lasting impression are Eternals, Bloodline, Astress, EZ Dance Crew, and Outkasts, with outstanding performers Urvi Giri, Anju Shrestha, Vasundhra Singh, D2K, Neoki, ZXT, Nextwave, and The Exponential Crew. 

3 PLUS 4 CREW secured the first position in the dance category with their explosive performance, RIXZU came second, and OUTKASTS took the third position. 

SPOTLIGHT ON BLOODLINE

One of the standout and incredible groups this year was BLOODLINE, led by Shree and featuring members Amit, Taanu, Aadi, Meenakshi, Tasha, Vaibhav, and Anjali. It was their very first performance at the All-India K-pop Contest, and they chose the high-energy track that broke the stage – “LALALALA” by Stray Kids. Despite having only 10 days to prepare after being selected, they pushed through challenges and gave their all. 

“K-pop itself inspires us – seeing idols work hard and support each other motivates us to grow as a team and give our best to our audience,” said the group.

Initially struggling with differing dance styles and coordination, BLOODLINE’s dedication and practice paid off, resulting in a strong, united performance.

“Performing at KCCI was an exhilarating experience! The energy of the audience was electric, and our team’s hard work really showed. We felt proud and are already excited for our next performance.”

A GLORIOUS NIGHT FOR K-POP LOVERS AND FANDOMS

Beyond the competition, it was a massive celebration for K-pop fandoms, who not only enjoyed the event but also made connections with new fandoms while celebrating the culture and creating friendship bonds. The explosive fan chants made the event all the more memorable.

The connection of the audience with the performers was beautiful, and the energy encouraged the performers to give an even better performance.

CONCLUDING REMARK

Wrapping up this segment full of emotions and love, the KCCI Delhi regional is not just the end; it is a new revolution for every K-pop lover. With all passion and dedication, the day ended with love and lots of new memories that everyone created — and they all started their journey towards Korean culture and K-pop. 

Would you like to attend or participate in an event like this in the future? Let us know in the comments!!