India Pharma Outlook Team | Monday, 02 November 2026
Sun Pharma gains CDSCO approval for its generic oral semaglutide tablets and steps firmly into India’s fast-moving diabetes treatment arena.
The company secured the nod to manufacture and market the once-daily tablets in three strengths: 3 mg, 7 mg, and 14 mg, which are therapeutically equivalent to Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus.
This approval marks Sun Pharma’s formal entry into the competitive oral GLP-1 space in India.
Patients now gain another accessible oral option, while the market braces for sharper competition that could reshape pricing and availability in the months ahead.
The tablets offer once-daily oral treatment for type-2 diabetes. Sun Pharma will manufacture the r-DNA origin formulation at its Kamrup facility in Assam. The company sources the active pharmaceutical ingredient from Zhongmeihuadong Pharmaceutical in Hangzhou, China. These practical details confirm a fully localized production setup backed by an established global supply of the key raw material.
Also Read: 10 GLP-1 Drugs Revolutionizing Diabetes & Obesity Treatment
Semaglutide’s molecule patent expired in March this year, yet a separate patent still protects the oral formulation in India. Courts have allowed certain launches, and Indian firms have moved quickly.
Sun Pharma’s approval now intensifies competition among Indian companies in the oral segment. The firm already markets two injectable semaglutide brands, Noveltreat for weight management and Sematrinity for type-2 diabetes, which generated Rs 19 crore and Rs 16 crore, respectively, until September this year. The new oral product therefore extends Sun Pharma’s existing GLP-1 strategy rather than starting from scratch.
The GLP-1 market in India has grown rapidly. PharmaTrac data shows the combined injectables-and-orals segment nearly tripled to Rs 2,700 crore from Rs 950 crore in 2025 after newer molecules such as semaglutide and tirzepatide entered.
Oral formulations expand patient access beyond injectables and open a fresh commercial opportunity amid intensifying competition and price pressure in the injectable space. Dilip Shanghvi, Executive Chairman of Sun Pharma, noted that even modest penetration of a few percentage points of total patients can still create a very large product. Industry observers view oral semaglutide as a practical route to broader reach while competition among Indian manufacturers continues to build.
Sun Pharma’s CDSCO nod represents another decisive step in the race among Indian pharma firms to deliver more accessible oral GLP-1 therapy. The entry of a major player with established manufacturing capacity and an existing injectable presence can further shape pricing, availability, and patient choice in the coming months. As more companies secure approvals and refine their offerings, the oral segment stands ready to deliver wider treatment options for people living with type-2 diabetes.
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