Ozempic debuts in India at ₹8,800/month; targets diabetes and obesity amid rising demand and upcoming generic competition. Photos: X.
Ozempic has found its way to India after Novo Nordisk launched the prescription medication on Friday. The company has priced the drug of a 0.25 mg dose at $24.35 per week and is targeting a growing diabetes and obesity market expected to power industry growth this decade.
Ozempic will be sold in pen format in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg doses, Novo said. Monthly prices are 8,800 rupees for 0.25 mg, 10,170 rupees for 0.5 mg and 11,175 rupees for 1 mg, with each pen covering four weekly doses.
“The price will serve as a benchmark for generic launches expected next quarter… Would look at 50% discount to Novo prices,” said Vishal Manchanda, an analyst at Systematix Institutional Equities.
India has the world’s second-largest population of type 2 diabetes patients after China and rising obesity rates, making it a key battleground for weight-loss and metabolic drugs. Analysts expect the segment to reach $150 billion annually by decade-end.
Ozempic, approved in the United States in 2017 for type 2 diabetes, has become a global bestseller and is widely used off-label for weight loss. Novo said it also reduces the risk of cardiovascular events and kidney issues.
The drug can be prescribed only by endocrinologists or internal medicine specialists and is not intended for cosmetic use, said Shashank Joshi, consultant endocrinologist at Mumbai-based Lilavati Hospital.
“Ozempic also helps people with weight loss of up to 8 kilograms in people with diabetes… So, this medication has benefits beyond glycemic control,” said Novo Nordisk India head Vikrant Shrotriya.
Novo faces competition from Eli Lilly LLY.N, whose Mounjaro is approved for diabetes and weight loss, while Novo’s Wegovy, which also uses semaglutide, was launched in India in June. Last month, Novo cut Wegovy’s price by up to 37% ahead of semaglutide’s March 2026 patent expiry.
“We realised just after a couple months that for accessibility, we had to take a price cut,” Shrotriya said.
Indian drugmakers including Sun Pharma SUN.NS, Cipla CIPL.NS, Dr. Reddy’s REDY.NS and Lupin LUPN.NS are racing to develop semaglutide generics.
Novo had planned to launch Ozempic this month, Reuters reported earlier, to secure an early footing before cheaper domestic versions arrive.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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