A major face-off is expected in India’s growing anti-obesity treatment market, as Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk rolled out its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy on Tuesday, just a month after rival Eli Lilly launched Mounjaro.
The Danish company hopes for massive sales in India, a country where nearly 254 million people are struggling due to generalised obesity and 351 million with abdominal obesity. Novo Nordisk’s ambitious sales of $1 billion in coming years stems from its estimate that a significant proportion of them are potential users of such drugs, given the additional benefits to the heart, liver and kidneys.
The 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg injection pens are priced at Rs 17,345 each, translating to Rs 4,366 per dose. The drug is under distribution and will be in pharmacies by end of the month, said Vikrant Shrotriya, Novo Nordisk’s India managing director.
The 1.75 mg and 2.4 mg doses will be priced at Rs 24,280, and 2.4 mg will be priced at Rs 26,015 for a month.
Wegovy vs Mounjaro: Price difference
| Drug | Dose | Monthly Price (₹) |
| Wegovy | 0.25 mg | 17,345 |
| 0.5 mg | 17,345 | |
| 1 mg | 17,345 | |
| 1.75 mg | 24,280 | |
| 2.4 mg | 26,050 | |
| Mounjaro | 2.5 mg | 14,000 |
| 5 mg | 17,500 |
‘Flexpen-like devices’
Shrotriya clarified to ET that Wegovy will be launched in flexpen-like devices and can be self-administered, not in vials that will need the drug to be injected with a syringe.
“We are launching all five strengths in FlexTouch (a pen-like device),” he told ET. A dial allows the user to set the dose. “And then you have four needles inside the pack for self-administration,” he added.
The drug works by acting on key areas of the brain involved in appetite regulation and food intake thereby reducing hunger, improving satiety and reducing cravings for food, eventually inducing weight-loss. It also improves insulin resistance and has a beneficial effect on reduction of cardiometabolic events and risk factors.
Anti-obesity drug market grows fourfold
India’s anti-obesity drug market has grown more than fourfold in the last five years fuelled by rising instances of lifestyle diseases along with greater affordability and willingness among a section of the population to pay for weight-loss treatment, showed data from industry tracker and market researcher PharmaTrac.
The anti-obesity drug market soared to Rs 576 crore as of March 2025 from Rs 133 crore in March 2021.
Obesity, diabetes, and a healthcare time bomb
With obesity and type 2 diabetes rates skyrocketing, India is at a tipping point. According to the International Diabetes Federation, the number of Indian adults with diabetes is expected to surge from 74.2 million in 2021 to over 124 million by 2045.
Government data shows that 24% of women and 23% of men aged 15-49 were overweight or obese between 2019-2021, a sharp rise from the previous decade. The Economic Survey 2023-24 has already flagged obesity as a key health challenge, warning that India’s demographic dividend could be at risk if fitness levels don’t improve. The problem is more severe in cities, where obesity rates are far higher than in rural areas. Among men, 29.8% in urban areas are overweight or obese, compared to 19.3% in villages.
For women, the urban rate stands at 33.2%, while in rural areas, it is 19.7%. Sedentary lifestyles and rising consumption of processed foods in cities are worsening the crisis. If obesity levels keep rising, India’s long-term economic ambitions could be at risk.
A key driver of the country’s growth is its demographic dividend—the economic advantage of having a large working-age population. However, a workforce in poor health could lead to lower productivity and higher healthcare costs, weakening India’s competitive edge. Many developed countries, such as Japan and parts of Europe, are already struggling with ageing populations. If obesity undermines India’s workforce, the country may find it harder to establish itself as a global economic powerhouse.
