On March 7, 2025, when American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly launched its weight-loss and diabetes drug, Mounjaro, in India, it did two things. Firstly, it opened up the market for Indians to legally buy drugs specifically designed for weight loss. Second, it beat its competition, Novo Nordisk, which was also planning to launch its counterpart, Ozempic, in India.
Now, before we dive deeper, let's rewind a bit.
Mounjaro. Ozempic. Wegovy. Zepbound. All these are brand names linked in some way to diabetes and weight loss-or, as the President of the United States, Donald Trump, refers to it, the "fat shot" drugs.
Today, the weight loss drug market is growing at an astonishing rate.
Data suggest this USD 1.92 billion market in 2023 will balloon to USD 50.26 billion by 2032. And there's no doubt India will be one of the countries significantly contributing to this growth. After all, we are the diabetes capital of the world and are now also grappling with a rising obesity problem.
'The Fat Shot Drug'
It has been nearly two months since Mounjaro, the weight-loss and diabetes drug, was launched in India. While there's clearly growing curiosity among Indians about these drugs (we'll get to that in a bit), they've made headlines again because their manufacturers-the pharmaceutical giants-are under fire from the US President.
In a recent announcement made on Monday, US President Trump vowed to slash prescription drug prices. This move came as part of his "Most-Favoured Nation" policy to protect American consumers. To further illustrate his point, Trump shared a rather, let's say, a colourful story about a "fat, rich businessman friend" who called him from London to highlight the glaring price difference between the same drug in the US and UK.
While recounting the incident, Trump coined the term "fat shot drug" and went on to announce an executive order aimed at cutting the cost of prescription medicines in the US by as much as 30 per cent to 80 per cent. He insisted that the US should be charged the same prices as the lowest-paying developed countries.
"I'm in London, and I just paid for this damn fat drug I take," the friend said, according to Trump. "I said, it's not working. They said - he said - I just paid USD 88 and in New York I paid USD 1,300. What the hell is going on?" Trump added that upon investigation, he found the drug was the same product, made in the same factory by the same company, yet sold abroad at a fraction of the price.
The Internet quickly speculated that the "fat, rich businessman" in question was none other than Elon Musk, who is both a vocal promoter and user of the drug Ozempic.
Ozempic is the brand name for semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist primarily used to manage Type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of heart and kidney complications.
It also slows digestion and suppresses appetite, which leads to significant weight loss, and has made it popular for off-label use.
Mounjaro (tirzepatide), developed by Eli Lilly and Company, is another prescription drug for managing Type 2 diabetes and promoting weight loss. It acts as both a GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist, which helps boost insulin production, reduce sugar release from the liver, and slow digestion to suppress appetite. By targeting two appetite-regulating hormones instead of one, it tends to produce greater weight loss results.
For context, GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) and GIP (Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide) are hormones that help regulate blood sugar by stimulating insulin secretion, with GLP-1 also reducing appetite and GIP influencing fat metabolism.
But how is Mounjaro doing, nearly two months post-launch in India? We tried to find out.
The Rising Curiosity, Ft. The Internet
If weight loss is even a minor concern for you, chances are your social media feed is flooded with tips, tricks, hacks, and all sorts of content on how to shed kilos. To reach their goals faster, some people (those who can afford it) are turning to weight loss drugs.
This is mainly because these drugs can cost as much as USD 1,000, just as Trump claimed. However, in India, when Mounjaro was introduced at Rs 3,500 per vial for 2.5 mg (a weekly dose), the comparatively lower price surprised many.
Mounjaro is now easily available online, through platforms like India Mart. Screenshot: India Mart
NDTV reached out to various distributors, wholesalers, and pharmacies across India to gauge public response to the new weight loss drug and found a clear pattern.
The demand is unprecedented. However, this demand is largely restricted to Tier 1 cities for now. Even though interest is high, many curious individuals do not actually go ahead with the purchase, as corroborated by suppliers.
These suppliers also confirmed to NDTV that most queries are driven by weight loss ambitions rather than diabetes management.
"People see it online and then call us to enquire about Mounjaro. Most of them are from the younger generation. Out of 100 people who call, around 50 end up making a purchase," says a spokesperson from Welcome Healthcare, Mumbai.
A Mounjaro stockist from Delhi tells us that the demand has definitely risen. However, he points out that since the drug is expensive and requires a weekly purchase, people often stop after using just two or three vials.
When we asked for numbers, a well-known supplier in Pune estimated they are currently selling nearly 100 vials a month.
A Reuters report from April 2025 showed similar findings. A survey of 18 doctors, patients, and weight-loss clinic operators revealed that Mounjaro has triggered a massive wave of patient enquiries, with some Indian doctors receiving hundreds of calls each month about the medicine.
Dr Shashank Shah, consultant in Bariatric Surgery at PD Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Khar, Mumbai, says that the surging demand is a result of the sheer scale of obesity and diabetes problems in India. At the same time, digital awareness about such injections has increased.
Novo Nordisk is also planning to launch Ozempic in India. Photo: Unsplash
Recently, filmmaker Hansal Mehta took to X to share his experience with Mounjaro. He shared that he had lost 10 kg using the drug and wanted to break the stigma surrounding its use.
"Under medical guidance, I began Mounjaro to address rising blood sugar levels in the pre-diabetic range and to manage my steadily increasing weight," Mehta wrote.
He also clarified that the medication was only one part of a broader lifestyle overhaul that included high-protein meals, intermittent fasting, strength training, proper hydration, and improved sleep.
However, this growing awareness and demand, according to Dr Shah, has also led to over-the-counter sales and purchases from the grey market in India-an issue that may soon need serious regulatory attention. With Mounjaro already here, Novo Nordisk's rival product Ozempic is expected to enter the Indian market very soon.
Bottomline
The arrival of Mounjaro has clearly stirred significant interest, shining a spotlight on India's burgeoning demand for weight-loss solutions. But can Indians be regular consumers, or is the demand just out of sheer curiosity? Only time can tell.
As more and more global pharma giants eye India's vast diabetic and obese population, the market is poised for rapid expansion. However, it must be met with education, regulation, and responsible usage.