Sun Pharmaceutical Industries has received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to manufacture and market a generic once-daily oral semaglutide tablet in India for type 2 diabetes, ETPharma reported on 31 October 2026. The pill comes in 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg strengths and is therapeutically equivalent to Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus.

What the Sun Pharma oral semaglutide approval covers

• Product: generic oral semaglutide, a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet
• Indication: improving glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes
• Strengths: 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg
• Manufacturing: the r-DNA origin formulation will be made at Sun Pharma’s facility in Kamrup, Assam
• API source: the active ingredient will come from Zhongmeihuadong Pharmaceutical, based in Hangzhou, China

Sun Pharma has not yet announced a launch date or price, and the company had not responded to the report’s request for comment at the time of publication.

A crowded race in oral GLP-1 generics

Semaglutide lost its main patent protection in India in March 2026, but the oral formulation is covered by a separate patent. Torrent Pharma became the first company to launch a generic oral version, under the brands Semalix and Sembolic, after the Delhi High Court ruled that its formulation did not infringe Novo Nordisk’s patent. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories followed with its brand Obeda, priced at ₹99, ₹135 and ₹225 per tablet for the three strengths. Torrent currently holds close to 90% of India’s generic oral semaglutide market, according to the report.

The approval rounds out Sun Pharma’s GLP-1 portfolio. The company already sells two injectable semaglutide brands, Noveltreat for chronic weight management and Sematrinity for type 2 diabetes, which recorded sales of ₹19 crore and ₹16 crore respectively up to September 2026. The news follows the company’s Q2 FY27 results, in which India sales rose 17%.

Why India’s GLP-1 market is drawing generic makers

GLP-1 drugs, which mimic gut hormones to control blood sugar, have moved beyond diabetes into weight management and are now among the fastest-growing therapy areas worldwide. PharmaTrac estimates cited in the report put India’s GLP-1 market, injectables and orals combined, at ₹2,700 crore, nearly three times the ₹950 crore recorded in 2025, after the entry of newer molecules such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. Speaking to analysts after the quarterly results, Sun Pharma Executive Chairman Dilip Shanghvi said that even a few percent of the total patient pool would make it “a very, very large product.”

Oral tablets give companies a way to compete as price erosion intensifies in injectables, and they remove the need for needles and cold storage for patients. For manufacturers, the growth of GLP-1s is also reshaping capacity plans, from prefillable syringe and cartridge lines at SCHOTT Pharma India to licensing deals such as Biocon’s semaglutide out-licensing to Ajanta Pharma. Sourcing the API from China also keeps the spotlight on India’s dependence on imported active ingredients for complex molecules. For a wider view of the category, see our analysis on whether India is ready for the GLP-1 era.

Key takeaways

• CDSCO has approved Sun Pharma’s generic once-daily oral semaglutide in 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg strengths for type 2 diabetes.
• The tablet will be made in Kamrup, Assam, using API sourced from China’s Zhongmeihuadong Pharmaceutical.
• Sun enters an oral generic market led by Torrent Pharma, with Dr. Reddy’s also present, as India’s GLP-1 market nears ₹2,700 crore.

FAQ

What has Sun Pharma received approval for?

CDSCO has allowed Sun Pharma to manufacture and market a generic once-daily oral semaglutide tablet in India for type 2 diabetes, in 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg strengths.

Which other companies sell oral semaglutide generics in India?

Torrent Pharma (Semalix and Sembolic) and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (Obeda) already sell generic oral semaglutide in India, with Torrent holding close to 90% of the segment.

Featured image: Representative image of Rybelsus (oral semaglutide) blister packs, the reference brand. Photo: Windshear / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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