‘Fitness ka jugaad nahi hota boss’: Anupam Mittal warns against Ozempic-driven weight-loss craze in India

People Group founder and Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal has cautioned against the growing use of diabetes drug Ozempic as a shortcut for weight loss in India, warning that fitness cannot be replaced by “quick fixes.”

In a LinkedIn post, Mittal said the rising popularity of GLP-1 drugs reflects a desire for results without sustained effort, even as demand for Ozempic surges across urban India.

He noted that Ozempic is already selling in India at around Rs 8,800 per month and estimates the market could reach nearly Rs 1,000 crore annually. He said interest in such drugs is likely to intensify further from March 2026, when patents on several GLP-1 treatments begin to expire, potentially opening the space to wider competition from Indian pharmaceutical companies.

“Demand is real. Curiosity is massive. The real plot twist lands in March ’26, when GLP-1 patents begin to expire. That’s when every pharma company will discover its inner weight-loss baba and the industry could 5× in a few years,” he wrote.

“If Ozempic becomes for fat loss what Eno is for acidity, half of urban India may be on a monthly injection plan, just to look better on Instagram.”

At the same time, Mittal acknowledged the medical value of GLP-1 drugs, calling them “genuinely life-changing” for patients with obesity, diabetes, and serious metabolic conditions.

However, he cautioned that for the average person, reliance on injections purely for appearance risks normalising unhealthy shortcuts.

“Shortcuts are seductive. Science is powerful. But fitness ka jugaad nahi hota, boss,” he wrote, stressing that long-term health still depends on disciplined lifestyle choices such as balanced nutrition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and daily movement.

Netizens reaction

Mittal’s post sparked an animated debate on LinkedIn, with many users shared their perspective on the growing Ozempic trend and the broader conversation around fitness versus convenience.

“Shortcuts can help, but they can’t replace the basics. Discipline, nutrition, exercise, and sleep will always be the foundation,” a user wrote.

“This post offers a thought-provoking take on the intersection of science and lifestyle in the quest for fitness. With the potential flood of generics post-2026, it seems crucial to balance medical advances with sustainable health habits. How do you see the generics market impacting the healthcare message around personal responsibility and lifestyle changes?,” another wrote.

“Fitness has never been about a single tool, it has always been about daily behaviour stacking. Shortcuts feel attractive, but lifestyle still compounds the longest. Discipline may not trend on Instagram, but it protects everything else,” a third said.