Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Eli Lilly Chair and CEO David Ricks stated that the company is ready for an immediate rollout once domestic authorities approve the medication.

US pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly is prepared to introduce its oral obesity and type-2 diabetes drug in India as soon as domestic regulatory clearances come through, with the country set to play a central role in manufacturing the pill for worldwide supply.

"We're ready to go as soon as the Indian authorities say yes," Ricks said, projecting a potential launch in 2027. While introducing new molecules to the Indian market historically took up to four years following their initial global rollout, Lilly is now compressing that window to roughly a single year.

The anticipated entry of the oral drug—Foundayo (orforglipron), a once-daily small-molecule pill—marks a shift in the fast-evolving metabolic market beyond weekly injectable GLP-1 and dual-agonist therapies such as Mounjaro (tirzepatide).

Addressing the therapeutic and commercial advantages of a pill over injectables, Ricks noted that while oral formulations may trail behind injectables in sheer peak potency, they offer unmatched consumer convenience and manufacturing scalability.

"An oral gives us several other advantages. First, it's convenient, and we do know many patients are reluctant to try an injectable medicine—fear of needles, or just doesn't fit into their daily routine," Ricks explained. "The second is scalability... With an oral like Foundayo, we use chemistry, and we can expand that more quickly. In fact, we have several production partners here in India, which are helping us supply the globe already, and we're poised for really massive volume here." India's importance to the Indianapolis-based drugmaker extends well beyond patient volume. Ricks confirmed that Lilly is actively executing its $1 billion investment commitment to India announced last year, directing capital toward contract manufacturing partnerships and technical capabilities.

The company has embedded teams with domestic laboratory partners to scale up production of innovative active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished dosages.

"We've formed partnerships with several labs in India. And this is not just a supplier relationship. We embed our people with them... and really have them produce at scale here in India and supply our global supply chain," Ricks said, adding that Lilly is well on track to fulfil the $1 billion investment across these partner companies over the next several years.

Alongside manufacturing alliances, the group has expanded its global technology centre in Hyderabad to over 600 engineers working on artificial intelligence and software solutions.

Lilly entered the Indian weight-loss and diabetes market in March 2025 with Mounjaro, rapidly turning it into the leading branded therapy in the domestic segment within its first year.

Addressing the recent influx of low-cost generic semaglutide versions priced between ₹1,500 and ₹5,500 per month—compared to Mounjaro's ₹13,000 to ₹25,000 monthly regimen—Ricks stated that the arrival of generics has widened the overall market rather than denting Lilly's growth.

"The market share is a little deceiving to look at because although that has fallen for us, it's mostly because the market's expanded so dramatically with lower-price generics," Ricks said. "Interestingly, the Mounjaro business continues to grow in both volume and value through that event... Very few are [switching], I think, because they're satisfied with the performance of Mounjaro." Lilly aims to establish India among its top five global markets over the long term, supported by expanding clinical trial programs and its global "Change the Course" initiative focused on expanding access to cardiometabolic therapies across low- and middle-income countries.