Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, which has taken an early lead since its March launch in India, now faces serious competition. Novo Nordisk on Friday introduced Ozempic, pricing the 0.25 mg starter dose at Rs 2,200 per week. For a four-week course, the entry dose works out to Rs 8,800, placing the drug firmly in the premium segment of India’s fast-growing obesity and metabolic-health market. By comparison, Mounjaro is priced at Rs 14,000 a month for the 2.5 mg initiating dose and rises to `27,500 for the 15 mg strength.
The Ozempic launch comes just weeks after the rollout of Wegovy, Novo Nordisk’s dedicated weight-loss injection, in the Indian market in June. After a 37% price cut, Wegovy now starts at Rs 10,850 a month and goes up to Rs 16,400. For Ozempic, the 0.5 mg step-up dose costs Rs 10,170 for a four-week pack, while the 1 mg maintenance dose is priced at Rs 11,175.
Pricing Strategy and Competition
“It was a very tough decision to bring Ozempic at this price,” Novo Nordisk India Managing Director Vikrant Shrotriya said at the launch, adding that the company wants more patients to access the medicine at “an affordable rate.”
India, home to the world’s second-largest population of type-2 diabetes patients and a rapidly rising obesity baseline, has become a crucial battleground for weight-loss and metabolic drugs. Analysts expect the global segment to reach $150 billion annually by the end of the decade. Ozempic, approved in the US in 2017 for type-2 diabetes, has since become a global bestseller and is widely used off-label for weight loss.
Novo Nordisk claims it also reduces cardiovascular and renal risks. 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’s Lilavati Hospital, in comments to Reuters. “Ozempic also helps people with weight loss of up to 8 kg in those with diabetes,” he said. Shrotriya added that the medication “has benefits beyond glycemic control.”
Generic Threat and Mounjaro’s Current Market Dominance
Indian pharma majors — including Sun Pharma, Cipla, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Lupin — are racing to develop semaglutide generics. Novo Nordisk moved quickly to launch Ozempic to secure early ground before lower-cost domestic versions enter the market. Semaglutide, the underlying compound in both Ozempic and Wegovy, loses patent exclusivity in March 2026, opening the door for generic competition.
According to data from Pharmatrac, the Indian pharmaceutical market tracker, Mounjaro currently commands an 86% share of the category, supported by stable pricing and tight inventories that keep demand strong. In November alone, Mounjaro recorded `108 crore in sales, making it the top-selling brand in the domestic pharmaceutical market that month — a sign of sustained momentum despite intensifying competition.
