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Over the course of six months, Aakash had to learn not just control his portion sizes but also improve the quality of his diet by including more fibre and protein to avoid losing muscle mass (a side effect of the drug). This meant eliminating highly processed junk food.
“What I fed myself was still my choice, and that is what had to change by my own sheer will and a general sense of wanting to improve and accepting what is healthy,” Aakash said, asking to be identified by a single name. He lost over 19 kg in 6 months.
Aakash is not alone. People prescribed diabetes and obesity drugs like Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic lose drastic weight in short periods, but have to maintain it with a complete lifestyle shift. This wave has now reached India, home to a massive population of diabetics.
These drugs belong to a class of medications known as GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and gives a sense of fullness, making them popular for their weight-loss properties.
While these drugs have generated a buzz, they are expensive, putting them beyond reach for many. That, however, could change when the formulation behind Wegovy and Ozempic goes off patent in March, which could see prices drop by more than 80% as domestic drug companies set out to manufacture copycat weight-loss drugs. (Ozempic hasn’t been cleared for use in India yet.)
Experts believe more affordable GLP-1 drugs could bring about a gradual—not immediate—uptrend in India’s healthy snacking and packaged food market as users prescribed these medications seek high-protein, high-fibre options that can leave them feeling satiated for longer.
The wider buzz around weight loss and healthier lifestyles is also expected to see more consumers opt for healthier snacks, beginning with sugar-free and whole-grain alternatives before adopting more niche varieties.
India’s nascent domestic market for weight-loss drugs in July was about ₹600 crore, according to Pharmarack, a data analytics firm focused on the pharmaceuticals sector. Pharma analyst Vishal Manchanda of financial services firm Systematix Group expects this market to expand to over ₹8,000 crore in 2-3 years.
Leading FMCG companies such as Marico Ltd, Tata Consumer Products Ltd, and ITC Ltd have already started expanding their product lines to meet India’s growing fitness obsession, which health-food startups like Yogabar and The Whole Truth expect to ride.
“Leveraging our science-based platforms at the ITC Life Sciences and Technology Centre, we are working on ramping up our health and nutrition portfolio to address some of these issues,” ITC executive director Hemant Malik told Mint in an email.
Tata Consumer Products, too, is investing in research and development to come up with healthier packaged foods, said Vikas Gupta, global head–research and development.
“We will continue to strengthen our portfolio with GLP-1 friendly products that are high in protein, enriched with fibre and probiotics and portion-conscious across our food and beverages portfolio,” Gupta added.
Key Takeaways
- With the arrival of GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy, many Indians are making major lifestyle changes—eating smaller portions, cutting processed food, and shifting to protein- and fibre-rich diets to maintain muscle and satiety.
- Consumer goods leaders such as Marico, Tata Consumer, Amul, and ITC are rapidly expanding their portfolios of health-oriented products—ranging from millet-based snacks and high-protein dairy to organic foods—to capture the growing demand from GLP-1 users and a broader health-conscious audience.
- With Novo Nordisk’s Semaglutide set to go off patent in India in 2025, domestic drugmakers are preparing cheaper alternatives that could slash prices by 80% or more, potentially making obesity drugs mainstream and boosting demand for complementary healthy snacking products.
What FMCG giants are up to
Marico, Tata Consumer, Amul and ITC Ltd are looking to capitalise on the fitness trend by launching products such as oats, wellness teas, and snacks infused with millets. Though still small, the portfolio of such products is progressively growing.
Tata Consumer acquired millet-based brand Soulfull in 2021 for ₹155.8 crore and deepened its health portfolio in 2024 with Organic India ( ₹1,900 crore) and Capital Foods ( ₹5,100 crore). ITC bought a 39.4% stake in Yoga Bar’s parent, Sproutlife Foods, for ₹175 crore in 2023, and poured in another ₹80 crore this year for full ownership. ITC also acquired 24 Mantra Organic for ₹472.5 crore this year.
Last year, ITC launched Right Shift, targeted at people over 40 and seeking specific nutritional benefits such as foods with high fibre and protein.
Marico entered healthy snacking in 2022 by taking a 54% stake in True Elements. Amul has launched a range of high protein products, from dahi (curd) to paneer (a type of cheese).
Globally, snacking companies have taken a proactive approach to catering to the users of weight-loss drugs. Nestle, for instance, has launched a range of products directly targeting GLP-1 users through its Vital Pursuit frozen meals. It also has a nutritional support platform in the US.
Marico, Nestle India, and ITC did not respond to Mint’s email queries.
India, however, may not see products directly marketed at GLP-1 patients. “It is not a homogenous market, not everyone will understand the technical language,” said Kiran Mahasuar, assistant professor of strategy at S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research.
But consumers are seeking wider options.
In a recent note, researcher Mintel highlighted a growing consumer expectation for mainstream food and beverage products to offer hunger-curbing benefits, influenced by the rise of weight-loss drugs.
In India, 36% of the women respondents in Mintel’s survey indicated a preference for biscuits and cookies that support weight loss. Mintel’s research showed that 40% of Indian consumers would be encouraged to choose a packaged salty snack over another if it offered lower calories, while 33% said they preferred snacks high in or containing added protein.
“With GLP-1 drugs popularising the concept of ‘feeling fuller for longer’ snack brands have an opportunity to position high-fibre and high-protein formulations around satiety,” Mintel said, citing insights from its 2025 study.
India’s packaged convenience food industry is expected to reach ₹4.9 trillion this financial year (2025-26) from ₹3.2 trillion in FY22, according to a Deloitte report earlier this year.
US pharma giant Eli Lilly launched its weight-loss drug Mounjaro (generic name: Tirzepatide) in India in March, clocking 150,000 unit sales by July. It was followed by Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (Semaglutide) in June, which sold 5,000 units in two months. Both are available as once-a-week pen-filled injectables.
Mounjaro can cost between ₹14,000 and 28,000 a month depending on how it is administered and the dosage, and Wegovy between ₹17,000 and ₹26,000 a month.
Consumer companies with a strong presence in high-protein, high-fibre food categories are expecting a further surge in demand for healthier snacks when prices of GPT-1 drugs fall next year.
Products that complement medical interventions, such as high-protein snacks and fibre-rich meals, are already seeing strong traction, creating a move towards healthier diets, said Devangshu Dutta, founder and chief executive of Third Eyesight, a management consultancy.
“I think we will take consumption [away] from snacks—whether it is chocolates, biscuits, or chips. Over a period of time, snacking will get healthier,” said Suhasini Sampath, co-founder of Yoga Bar, which sells protein bars, high-protein muesli, rolled oats, and quinoa. “We are also looking at having savoury food options. Maybe next year we would do high-protein chips, etc.”
The Whole Truth, with its offerings of high-protein snack bars and protein powders, expects to ride the growing demand for obesity drugs. “Thankfully, that is exactly what your nutritionist will recommend when you’re on GLP-1… Hopefully, that will just accelerate the pickup and trial of these products,” founder Shashank Mehta said.
The shift is reflected in the company’s growth. The Whole Truth expects its revenue to grow by 150% in 2025-26. While the company hasn’t yet filed its financials for FY25, its revenue is expected to have crossed ₹200 crore during the year, from ₹70.6 crore in FY24.
Mehta, however, is cautious about marketing products directly to GLP-1 patients. “Brands need to be responsible… because all of that then could normalise the usage of the drug for cosmetic purposes,” he said.
Some experts, however, believe the healthy packaged foods trend will be slow to turn mainstream in India.
“It’s a decadal journey,” said Angshuman Bhattacharya, partner and national leader, consumer products and retail, at EY-Parthenon. “The packaged chips market is about ₹60,000 crore, and if you see the healthy variants out there, they account for roughly 5-10% of it. For biscuits, the healthy variants like digestives are larger, accounting for upward of 15-20% of the overall category.”
Globally, healthy variants can account for 30-40% of a category depending on demand, but India is 8-10 years away from that kind of market size, he added.
“Till we reach that point, in many of these categories there will be a ‘better for you’ model that will work,” Bhattacharya said, referring to products that offer healthier variants in existing categories, like baked chips. “But for ‘plus-plus’ models (creating a new product altogether) to work you need serious innovation, you need claims to be backed by trials.”
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