New Delhi, Delhi, 7th of March, 2025 : Ozempic is not a magic pill, Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director, India division of the weight-loss drug-maker said while speaking at a discussion on obesity at the India Today Conclave 2025.
“When we talk about obesity as a disease, it’s not just about excess fat or adiposity, it’s also a metabolic abnormality. If losing weight were as simple as eating less and exercising more, it wouldn’t be such a struggle. I have tried to lose just one kilogram, but after a single day of partying, the weight comes right back. This shows that weight regulation is about more than just energy balance,” he said, adding that one cannot party and then take the injection (Ozempic).
Vikrant, who is also the Corporate Vice President of Novo Nordisk India, highlighted the importance of making lifestyle and diet changes to combat obesity as he pushed back against tags such as “miracle pill” for Ozempic.
The drug helps regulate appetite by affecting the brain’s hunger signals and slowing gastric emptying. “It is a rescue for those who cannot lose weight through diet and exercise alone,” he explained.
Talking about that while Ozempic helps lose weight, it doesn’t change the very nature of people’s lifestyles. “This is not a criticism but an important point to consider. Lifestyle, exercise, and diet are integral to a person’s well-being. Attitude, behaviour, and choices also play a crucial role. This is not a magic pill, it is a medication,” Novo Nordisk India’s Managing Director said.
When diet and exercise alone fail to bring about weight loss, this medication can “serve as a rescue.”
He explained that when one is hungry, the metabolic rate drops, making you feel the urge to eat more. “This drug signals the brain to reduce hunger and slows gastric motility, helping with weight reduction. However, it should be used as part of a balanced approach that includes diet and exercise, it is not meant to be abused,” he said.
Addressing the complexities of weight management, he highlighted that obesity is not just a lifestyle issue, but a metabolic disease deeply rooted in human biology. Obesity is now so prevalent that having a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) is becoming rare, Vikrant noted. He highlighted the concept of the “thin-fat Indian,” explaining that compared to Caucasians, Indians tend to have more visceral fat despite appearing leaner.
“Fighting against obesity is not as simple as everyone thinks,” he said, pointing out that metabolic abnormalities play an important role. While the conventional advice of eating less and exercising more seems logical, it does not always lead to sustained weight loss.
He compared the difficulty of weight loss to the struggle of quitting smoking, stating that it is not just about willpower.
Regarding concerns about societal pressure to be thin, Vikrant said that the real issue is not unrealistic beauty standards, but the rising burden of obesity-related health problems. “I’m more worried about the health of the nation,” he said, adding that while Ozempic is an effective tool, it should be used judiciously and under medical supervision.
Talking about relapsing after one stops Ozempic, Vikrant said, “Just as conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or thyroid disorders return when medication is stopped, weight loss through diet and exercise alone is often temporary. The body fights back due to its natural survival instinct.”
One key factor is that we often consume more calories than we need, he said. “When you eat less, your hunger hormones eventually compensate, causing weight to rebound.” Ozempic is a long-term medication for metabolic diseases, he said, highlighting that while it helps reduce body weight, maintaining the results requires motivation and willpower.
Benefits outweigh risks: Novo Nordisk India’s MD on Ozempic side effects
Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India, addressed concerns over the side effects of Ozempic during a session at India Today Conclave 2025.
The benefits of Ozempic outweigh the risks, said Vikrant Shrotriya, Corporate Vice President & Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India, during a session on Ozempic at the India Today Conclave 2025.
Ozempic, a drug popular for its tremendous weight-loss effects, has been criticised for its potential side effects, including conditions that can inflame and obstruct blood flow to the eyes, leading to blindness.
A study revealed that nine people in the US experienced vision issues after using semaglutide (the active compound in Ozempic).
Speaking about these side effects, Vikrant said, “It’s important to understand how a medicine reaches the market. It undergoes rigorous evaluation through Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 trials to assess its safety and effectiveness. Ozempic has been thoroughly studied for its risks and benefits. A drug is approved only when the benefits outweigh the risks.”
He added, “We have ongoing safety monitoring through regular audit reports. After it was launched, we were shocked because the demand far exceeded what we anticipated.”
Does Ozempic put unrealistic pressures on the society? “I’m more concerned about the nation’s health when it comes to obesity. The real issue is obesity itself. For those taking the medication unnecessarily, I want to urge caution and hope its misuse is prevented,” Vikrant said.
Ozempic is a prescription drug, developed by global pharma company Novo Nordisk, that helps control blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes. It is a self-administered injection to be put under the skin once a week.
The drug is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which comes in 0.5 milligrams, 1 milligram or 2 milligram dosages. This class of drugs mimics the GLP-1 hormone that helps control insulin (hormone) secretion and appetite. By slowing down digestion, it reduces hunger signals in the brain.
Vikrant highlighted that Ozempic is a long-term medication for metabolic diseases, and while it helps reduce body weight, maintaining the results requires motivation and willpower. He said that the drugs works best along with diet and exercise.
Why don’t celebrities admit to taking Ozempic? Expert answers at India Today Conclave
Vikrant Shrotriya, Corporate Vice President & Managing Director of Novo Nordisk India, during a session on India Today Conclave 2025, said that many celebrities may not want to admit to taking Ozempic because they want to credit their “fantastic genes.”
Many celebrities who have undergone dramatic weight loss have avoided admitting using Ozempic, despite its growing popularity.
While several Western stars have openly admitted to using the drug, others remain silent, fuelling speculation about its role in their transformations.
Addressing this reluctance, Vikrant Shrotriya, Corporate Vice President & Managing Director of Novo Nordisk India, said, “They just want to pat their back that they have fantastic genes. But losing weight is never easy, and regaining it happens quickly. This cycle of losing and regaining weight is called the obesity cycle. People who are overweight attempt to lose weight at least four times a year, but they rarely succeed in maintaining it.”
Ozempic is a prescription drug, developed by the global pharma company Novo Nordisk, that helps control blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes. It is a self-administered injection to be put under the skin once a week.
The drug is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which comes in 0.5 milligrams, 1 milligram or 2 milligram dosages. This class of drugs mimics the GLP-1 hormone that helps control insulin (hormone) secretion and appetite. By slowing down digestion, it reduces hunger signals in the brain.
During a session at India Today Conclave 2025, he said that Ozempic is a long-term medicine for any metabolic disease, in which one does reduce weight.
He added that Ozempic is a long-term medicine for any metabolic disease, in which one does reduce weight.
Addressing concerns about reports of severe side effects of Ozempic, Vikrant said that the drug has undergone a rigorous evaluation process.
“It’s important to understand how a medicine reaches the market. It undergoes rigorous evaluation through Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 trials to assess its safety and effectiveness. Ozempic has been thoroughly studied for its risks and benefits. A drug is approved only when the benefits outweigh the risks,” Vikrant clarified.
He added, “We have ongoing safety monitoring through regular audit reports. After it was launched, we were shocked because the demand far exceeded what we anticipated.”
He also said that some patients might even need supplements along with Ozempic.
“Not all patients are the same. Some may have a B-complex deficiency and need supplements, while others may have osteoporosis. Obesity rarely exists in isolationit is often accompanied by other comorbid conditions. Around 50% of people with obesity also have hypertension, and many may have osteoarthritis or diabetes,” he said.
Given the comorbidities, Ozempic is never a standalone solution. “In some cases, nutritional supplements may be necessary as part of the treatment plan,” he said.
Ozempic is a prescription drug that helps control blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes. It belongs to the GLP-1 class of drugs, which control the appetite of a person and helps control insulin (hormone) secretion. By slowing down digestion, it reduces hunger signals in the brain.
It is being manufactores and distributes Ozempic worldwide, which is yet to be approved in India.
Amid Ozempic craze, top pharma executive’s take on weight loss, magic pills
At India Today Conclave 2025, Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director of Novo Nordisk India, said that a weight loss drug is not a magic pill. Instead, it is a medicine that works alongside diet and exercise.
Weight-loss drug is not a magic pill, Novo Nordisk India’s Vikrant Shrotriya said while speaking at a session on obesity treatments at the India Today Conclave 2025.
Shrotriya, the Managing Director of Novo Nordisk, which manufactures the wildly popular Ozempic and Wegovy, stressed on the ABC (attitude, behaviour and choices) mantra, which is integral to the process of losing weight alongside medication.
“When we talk about obesity as a disease, it’s not just about excess fat or adiposity, it’s also a metabolic abnormality. If losing weight were as simple as eating less and exercising more, it wouldn’t be such a struggle. I have tried to lose just one kilogram, but after a single day of partying, the weight comes right back. This shows that weight regulation is about more than just energy balance,” he said, adding that one cannot party and then take the injection (weight-loss drug).
Shrotriya, who is also the Corporate Vice President of Novo Nordisk India, highlighted the importance of making lifestyle and diet changes to combat obesity as he pushed back against tags such as “miracle pill”.
The drug helps regulate appetite by affecting the brain’s hunger signals and slowing gastric emptying. “It is a rescue for those who cannot lose weight through diet and exercise alone,” he explained.
While weight loss drugs help lose weight, they don’t change the very nature of people’s lifestyles. “Lifestyle, exercise, and diet are integral to a person’s well-being. Attitude, behaviour, and choices also play a crucial role. This (weight loss drug) is not a magic pill, it is a medication,” Novo Nordisk India’s Managing Director said.
When diet and exercise alone fail to bring about weight loss, medication can “serve as a rescue.”
He explained that when one is hungry, the metabolic rate drops, making you feel the urge to eat more. “The drug signals the brain to reduce hunger and slows gastric motility, helping with weight reduction. However, it should be used as part of a balanced approach that includes diet and exercise, it is not meant to be abused,” he said.
A recent Lancet study suggested that more than 1 billion people are obese globally and nearly a third of the Indian population will be obese by 2050
Talking about this “brain disease”, as he called it, the pharma boss said, “When we talk about obesity, nearly 40% of people have central or visceral obesity. In fact, it has become so common that seeing someone with the “right” BMI is now rare.”
Indians, often described as “thin-fat,” tend to have more visceral fat compared to Caucasians, Shrotriya pointed out. “Obesity is not just about weight gain, it is a metabolic abnormality involving excess fat and adiposity. If losing weight were as simple as eating less and exercising more, it wouldn’t be such a struggle,” he added.
“Fighting against obesity is not as simple as everyone thinks,” he said, pointing out that metabolic abnormalities play an important role. While the conventional advice of eating less and exercising more seems logical, it does not always lead to sustained weight loss.
He added that in the prehistoric era, humans were designed to hunt and consume what they found, as food was scarce. “We have something called the thrifty genotype, which helped our ancestors survive periods of food scarcity. However, with urban lifestyles, food has become increasingly affordable, benefiting from lower inflation and widespread availability. Today, getting food is often cheaper than many other essentials,” Shrotriya explained.
For many, eating is not entirely within their control, it’s similar to smoking. It’s not just about willpower; if a billion people struggle with obesity, it’s unlikely that they all simply lack self-discipline. This goes beyond energy balance and willpower; it fundamentally disrupts the body’s metabolic state.
He compared the difficulty of weight loss to the struggle of quitting smoking, stating that it is not just about willpower, sometimes it is “not entirely within their control.”
Regarding concerns about societal pressure to be thin, Shrotriya said that the real issue is not unrealistic beauty standards, but the rising burden of obesity-related health problems. “I’m more worried about the health of the nation,” he said, adding that while weight-loss drugs are an effective tool, they should be used judiciously and under medical supervision.
Talking about relapsing after one stops taking a weight loss drug, Shrotriya said, “Just as conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or thyroid disorders return when medication is stopped, weight loss through diet and exercise alone is often temporary. The body fights back due to its natural survival instinct.”
One key factor is that we often consume more calories than we need, he said. “When you eat less, your hunger hormones eventually compensate, causing weight to rebound.”
A weight-loss drug is a long-term medication for metabolic diseases, he said, highlighting that while it helps reduce body weight, maintaining the results requires motivation and willpower.
Wegovy, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, is a popular drug that contains the active ingredient semaglutide for weight loss. Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes drug, manufactured by the company, also uses the compound
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