IANS Year Ender 2025: Anti-obesity drive, generic drugs to remain key focus in 2026

New Delhi, Dec 26 From changing the definition to the rise of GLP-1 medications, and the government’s several initiatives, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarion call, obesity became the focus of healthcare in India in 2025.

The anti-obesity drive, especially the generic drugs, will continue to remain a key focus in 2026.

Traditionally, Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to define obesity, but after 15 long years, India revamped its obesity guidelines in 2025 by lowering the threshold for obesity to 25 kg/m² (down from the international 30 kg/m²), with "overweight" defined between 23.0 and 24.9 kg/m².

The new approach focused on abdominal obesity and comorbid diseases, rather than just BMI. With this, the clinical focus shifted from BMI to waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio (W-HtR) to better identify abdominal fat, which is more prevalent in the "thin-fat Indian" phenotype.

According to the National Family Health Survey (2019–21), nearly a quarter of Indian women and men are overweight or obese. There is also a rising tide of childhood obesity, with about 5 per cent of school-going children being obese.

The Prime Minister's clarion call to reduce unhealthy fats and oils in food was a crucial point in the fight against obesity in the country. PM Modi suggested reducing daily oil consumption by 10 per cent.

Obesity was also highlighted as a major health concern in his monthly radio programme, 'Mann Ki Baat'.

What followed was a national campaign to reduce household edible oil consumption by 10 per cent to curb obesity rates.

Further, aligned with the Fit India initiative, the Prime Minister also invited 10 prominent personalities to join the national movement against obesity and promote awareness about healthy food consumption.

The Ministry of Health also urged government offices and schools to install sugar and oil boards to develop healthier workplaces and build a healthy India.

The boards consist of informative posters and digital boards highlighting the harmful impacts of the amount of sugar and oil present in popular food items, including samosas, kachori, pizza, pakoras, banana chips, burgers, soft drinks, and chocolate pastries.

It also displays the effects of these foods on the human body, as well as shares the recommended amounts of fat and sugar for individual intake.

Other government-led broader anti-obesity campaigns include initiatives like Fit India, POSHAN Abhiyaan, and Eat Right India.

The nationwide Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar campaign (Sept-Oct 2025) also focused on the health of women and families, highlighting the link between maternal health and childhood obesity.

Meanwhile, this year, India also saw a surge in GLP-1 medications.

The anti-obesity market in India became the fastest-growing segment

reaching Rs 628 crore by mid-2025, growing at a massive 46 per cent CAGR.

Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro (Tirzepatide), Novo Nordisk's once-weekly injectable weight-loss drug Wegovy, and Ozempic (Semaglutide) were launched in India this year.

Generic drugs also saw a push with Biocon’s Liraglutide, Emcure Pharmaceuticals’ Poviztra (Semaglutide), and Yurpeak (Tirzepatide) by Cipla in partnership with Eli Lilly.

The market is expected to change radically in early 2026 following the patent expiration of semaglutide in India in March. Major Indian pharmaceutical companies, including Cipla, Dr. Reddy’s, Sun Pharma, and Zydus, are preparing to launch generic versions expected to be 50 per cent to 85 per cent cheaper than the innovator brands.

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