India’s Weight-Loss Drug Craze: Affluent Buyers Drive Multi-Million-Dollar Boom Amid Health Concerns

A booming appetite for weight-loss drugs among affluent Indians is transforming the country’s anti-obesity market, now valued at nearly $100 million — a sixfold surge in just five years. But alongside the hype comes growing alarm among doctors about misuse, safety, and the blurring of medical boundaries.

Across India’s major cities, young professionals are lining up to get on so-called miracle jabs like Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide (sold as Rybelsus and Wegovy) and Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide (Mounjaro). Originally designed to treat diabetes, these medications have become lifestyle enhancers for the wealthy — offering rapid weight loss that traditional diets and fitness routines rarely deliver.

“These are the most powerful weight-loss drugs we’ve ever seen,” says Dr. Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis-C-DOC Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology in Delhi. “But they must be used responsibly and under medical supervision.”

Doctors warn that while the drugs can help users shed up to 15% of body weight, many regain it within a year of stopping. Prolonged use without exercise can erode muscle, and common side effects include nausea, diarrhoea, gallstones, and — in rare cases — pancreatitis.

Dr. Rahul Baxi, a diabetologist in Mumbai, says he receives daily calls from non-diabetic clients seeking the injections.

“They want quick results. But if you stop the drug, the weight comes back — and if you continue without exercising, you start losing muscle,” he cautioned.

These drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, mimic hormones that suppress hunger and slow digestion. Taken as weekly self-injections, they reduce appetite and, in tirzepatide’s case, boost metabolism. But with monthly costs ranging from ₹14,000 to ₹27,000 ($157–300), the jabs are largely confined to India’s upper middle class and elite.

The rapid growth has attracted major pharmaceutical players and spawned an underground industry of unauthorised prescribers, beauty clinics, and online pharmacies selling the drugs without valid prescriptions. Some “bridal packages” now include slimming injections promising a rapid transformation before weddings.

“Gym trainers and beauticians are prescribing high doses,” says Dr. Baxi. “We’re already seeing cases of misuse and spurious imports.”

Market analysts predict the frenzy will intensify when the patent for semaglutide expires in March, paving the way for cheaper generics. Jefferies investment bank projects India’s semaglutide market could hit $1 billion with increased affordability and government support.

“Nearly a dozen companies are ready with generic versions,” says Sheetal Sapale of Pharmarack Research. “But with cheaper options, misuse will only rise.”

India has the second-largest population of overweight adults and over 77 million people living with Type 2 diabetes. Experts say social attitudes toward obesity — often seen as a sign of prosperity — have masked the urgency of the crisis.

“Obesity is a chronic disease, not a cosmetic issue,” says bariatric surgeon Dr. Muffazal Lakhdawala. “But we’ve normalised it to the point where people don’t see it as dangerous.”

Beyond vanity, doctors are prescribing weight-loss drugs for patients preparing for surgeries or managing conditions like sleep apnea and heart disease. Bariatric clinics now combine GLP-1 therapy with nutrition and psychological counselling, using it as a bridge to surgery for severe cases.

Dr. Lakhdawala’s advice for those chasing quick fixes is blunt:

“Don’t use these drugs to lose five kilos for a wedding — use them to save your life. Cut sugar, exercise four times a week, and you’ll lose the rest naturally.”

As India braces for a flood of generic “slim jabs,” experts say the conversation must shift from cosmetic weight loss to safe, medically guided obesity care — before the cure becomes another health crisis.