Mounjaro becomes India's top-selling drug as tirzepatide takes 72% of the GLP-1 market by value

Tirzepatide, sold in India as Mounjaro, made up 72% of India's GLP-1 medicine market by value in August 2026, according to PharmaTrac data cited by India Today, with year-to-date sales of Rs 1,456 crore ($175 million) ^[2]. Injectable semaglutide, the ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, held 23% of that market, or Rs 459 crore ^[2]. Mounjaro has been India's single best-selling drug brand, across all disease categories, since October 2025 ^[1][2].

Over the 12 months ending August 2026, Mounjaro brought in Rs 1,256 crore in sales, up 502% from the year before, putting it ahead of established brands like GSK's Augmentin (Rs 957 crore) and USV's Glycomet GP (Rs 950 crore) ^[1]. Lilly launched tirzepatide in India in March 2025 ^[2].

The numbers are notable because they came after semaglutide's patent in India expired in March 2026, opening the door to more than 40 generic brands priced as low as Rs 1,290 ($15) a month, compared with Rs 13,000 to Rs 26,000 ($155 to $310) a month for Mounjaro ^[2]. Instead of losing ground, Lilly's drug kept its lead in the premium segment while the cheaper generics pulled in a wave of new patients: PharmaTrac data shows total monthly GLP-1 units sold roughly tripled, from about 20,000 to about 60,000, after the generics arrived, according to PharmaTrac vice-president Sheetal Sapale ^[2]. Sources give slightly different overall market splits — India Today's PharmaTrac figures put tirzepatide at 72% and semaglutide at 23% of the injectable GLP-1 market ^[2], while HinduBusinessLine cites a broader figure of 62% tirzepatide and 34% semaglutide across the full GLP-1 market including tablets ^[1], a difference the sources do not explain but that likely reflects different market slices measured.

India's total GLP-1 market, covering pills and injections, is now worth Rs 2,333 crore, up from Rs 153 crore in August 2022 — nearly a 15-fold jump in four years ^[1]. Doctors quoted by India Today point to results as one reason Mounjaro held its price premium: endocrinologist Dr Subhash Wangoo estimated weight loss of up to about 25% with tirzepatide versus about 20% with semaglutide, and 10% to 15% with oral GLP-1 drugs, though he stressed outcomes depend on the patient ^[2].

Why it matters for patients

This is a story about India's market, not the US one, and none of the sources say anything about US pricing, coverage, or FDA actions. But the pattern is worth watching. It shows that when a much cheaper generic version of a GLP-1 drug becomes available, it does not necessarily replace a pricier, patent-protected drug — it can instead pull in an entirely new group of patients who were previously priced out, while people focused on maximum results keep paying more for the branded option ^[2]. If similar generic competition eventually reaches semaglutide or tirzepatide products in the US, this data suggests price alone may not decide which drug patients choose; perceived effectiveness and doctor familiarity can matter just as much ^[2]. The India data also underscores that tirzepatide and semaglutide are not interchangeable — they work through different receptor pathways and are associated with different average weight-loss ranges in the sources cited here ^[2], a distinction relevant to anyone comparing Mounjaro or Zepbound against Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus.

The sources do not address US shortages, insurance coverage, or whether India's generic supply has any connection to the US drug supply chain. Those questions remain unanswered by the reporting reviewed here.