IIMA and Novo Nordisk Collaborate to Promote Obesity Treatment in India

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and Novo Nordisk India Pvt Ltd (NNIPL) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance a strategic partnership for five years, until 2030.

Through a multifaceted strategy centered on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly obesity, the partnership seeks to improve India's healthcare system. Under the three main pillars of health system capacity building, policy advocacy, and health economics, NNIPL and IIMA will collaborate to create and carry out effective programs as part of this Memorandum of Understanding. To address the obesity burden in India, the partnership will place a high priority on developing model frameworks for obesity clinics, creating educational materials, and formulating data-driven policies. Research to evaluate its financial effects on people, worker productivity, the healthcare system, and the economy as a whole will also be supported.

Commenting on the partnership, Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India Pvt Ltd, said, “India’s healthcare systems must urgently evolve to address the growing challenge of non-communicable diseases, particularly obesity. This collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad will jointly shape interventions that are research-backed, scalable, and sustainable. It is our firm belief that partnerships like these, and grounded in evidence and executed through collaboration, can bring lasting change and help improve health outcomes for millions.”

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Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Ahmedabad, expressed his thoughts on the development, stating, “This collaboration with Novo Nordisk India brings together healthcare and public policy, two domains where data and research can enable lasting change. At IIMA, we aim to apply our academic rigour to generate actionable insights for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and communities tackling non-communicable diseases like obesity.”