Why won't you see GLP-1 ads in India? The CDSCO rules explained

Why don't you see GLP-1 ads in India?

A 1954 law, licence rules for drug makers and a 2026 GLP‑1 advisory keep them out, while consumer law and an industry code add limits.^1,2,3,14,17

Each rule works differently. The 1954 Act is a criminal law that covers anyone who takes part in publishing an ad.¹ The Drugs Rules set conditions on licensed drug makers.² The March 2026 advisory is addressed to the companies that make, import and market GLP‑1 medicines.³

Consumer-protection guidelines cover surrogate ads and endorsers.¹⁷ ASCI's code is the ad industry's own set of rules.^14,18

What does the 1954 Magic Remedies Act ban?

The 1954 Act bans publishing any ad that suggests a drug for a listed condition, and obesity and diabetes are both on that list.¹

The full name is the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Section 3 bans taking "part in the publication" of an ad that suggests a drug for a listed condition. That means its "diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention".¹ The list has 54 entries. Besides obesity and diabetes, it includes heart diseases and high or low blood pressure.¹

"Advertisement" is defined widely. It covers any notice, label or document. It also covers any announcement "made orally or by any means of producing or transmitting light, sound or smoke".¹ Section 4 separately bans drug ads that give "a false impression", directly or indirectly.¹

• Penalty: up to 6 months in prison, a fine or both for a first conviction. Up to 1 year for a later one.¹
• Companies: the people in charge of a company can be found guilty along with it.¹
• Who enforces it: officers authorised by each state government. They can enter premises and seize ads.¹
• What it leaves out: a doctor's signboard, a "bonafide scientific or social" book, ads sent privately to doctors, and government ads.¹

In February 2020, the Health Ministry released a draft bill to update the Act. It proposed up to 2 years and ₹10 lakh for a first offence, and named the internet and websites.²³ We found no sign it has become law. The text we read still carries the 1954 penalties.¹

For herbal and homeopathic weight-loss products, see our post on ayurvedic and homeopathic weight-loss medicines.

What do the Drugs Rules add?

The Drugs Rules stop makers advertising Schedule H, H1 or X medicines without central approval, and bar any drug claiming to prevent or cure obesity.²

The Drugs Rules, 1945 sit under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.³ Several licence conditions repeat one line. It reads: "No advertisement of the drugs specified in Schedule H, Schedule H1 and Schedule X shall be made except with the previous sanction of the Central Government."² It appears in Rule 74 and Rule 78, among others.^2,24

Does that line cover GLP‑1s? We could not find semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide or dulaglutide on the published Schedule H list.² They are prescription-only, as the government and CDSCO say.^3,5 But we don't claim this Schedule H rule names them.

Rule 106 is the second piece. It says no drug may claim "to prevent or cure" a condition in Schedule J.² Schedule J lists diabetes and obesity.² The March 2026 advisory points to "principles underlying Schedule J" when it describes misleading promotion.³

What did CDSCO's March 2026 advisory say?

CDSCO's advisory said GLP‑1 ads are banned in every medium, including "surrogate" promotion through awareness campaigns, influencers and corporate campaigns that build brand recall.³

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, signed the advisory for CDSCO on 10 March 2026.³ It said some companies "may be engaging in direct or indirect (surrogate) promotional activities". It named "disease awareness campaigns" and "digital media outreach".^3,4 Its scope is "GLP-1 receptor agonists and similar prescription drugs indicated for obesity and metabolic disorders", not GLP‑1s alone.³

The advisory listed five kinds of ad, direct or indirect, that "may amount to misleading promotion":³

• promoting prescription-only medicines to the general public
• exaggerating how well a medicine works
• suggesting "assured or guaranteed weight loss outcomes"
• playing down diet, exercise and behaviour change
• creating demand for medicines

The ban covers "print, electronic, digital, social media, or any other public platform".³ Activity "under the pretext of disease awareness, influencer engagement, corporate campaigns" that creates "brand recall/product visibility" counts as a violation.³

It also made a public-health point. "Obesity is a chronic metabolic condition requiring comprehensive management, including lifestyle interventions," it said. Medicines "must not be projected" in a way that undermines diet, activity and prevention.³

Two practical asks for companies stand out. Patient leaflets must show a dedicated contact number with a complaint or ticket system.³ And firms must submit a risk management plan for ongoing safety monitoring.³ The advisory was copied to ASCI, the advertising industry's self-regulatory body.^3,18

One law firm notes that the advisory "does not expressly set out the legal provisions on which it is founded".²⁴ Its reading is that the Drugs Rules and the 1954 Act are the likely basis.²⁴

What has happened since March 2026?

The government inspected 49 businesses, warned of licence cancellation and prosecution, told states in May to watch ads across media, and answered Parliament in August.^5,6,10,12

• 10 Mar 2026CDSCO issues the advisory to GLP‑1 makers, importers and marketing-licence holders.³
• 24 Mar 2026The Health Ministry says breaches can mean "cancellation of licences, penalties, and prosecution".⁶
• 27 Mar 2026A CDSCO circular says action under the 1954 Act can be taken against makers, marketers "or any other entities".¹¹
• 1 Apr 2026A government backgrounder reports 49 businesses audited, including online pharmacy warehouses and weight-loss clinics, with notices issued.⁵
• By 18 Apr 2026The Drugs Consultative Committee, at its 68th meeting, asks state controllers to keep watch and act on serious violations.⁸
• May 2026CDSCO tells states to monitor print, electronic, digital, social-media and outdoor ads, and to work with ASCI where needed.¹⁰
• Early Aug 2026In a written Rajya Sabha reply, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel says the advisory bans surrogate ads and any promotion, including disease-awareness campaigns, "that may mislead consumers or encourage the use of these prescription medicines without medical supervision".¹²

The audits were not only about ads. The government said they looked for unauthorised sale and improper prescribing as well as "misleading marketing".⁵ It did not say how many of the 49 broke the rules.⁷

Why did Lilly pause its obesity campaign?

Lilly said it paused its "We Know Now" campaign "out of an abundance of regulatory caution" after the March advisory, and asked for clearer rules.⁹

The campaign started in mid-2025, a few months after Lilly launched Mounjaro in India.⁹ It ran newspaper ads, social-media posts, billboards and work with Bollywood celebrities.⁹ It carried Lilly's logo but did not name Mounjaro, the medicine Lilly sells in India.⁹ Novo Nordisk also ran a front-page newspaper ad urging readers to see a doctor about obesity. It named no medicine either.¹³

Reuters reported a separate March notice to Lilly. Citing two sources, it said the regulator noted the campaign had coincided with Mounjaro's launch.⁹ The regulator asked whether Lilly had checked the materials against the rules.⁹

In a 10 April letter to the DCGI, Lilly said the pause "had the unintended consequence of silencing a scientifically sound, physician-led public health campaign".⁹ It asked whether doctors discussing a disease, with no medicine named, falls under the ban.⁹ The DCGI did not respond to Reuters.⁹ We found no public answer to Lilly's question.

What are the rules for influencers and celebrities?

ASCI's code requires a label on paid posts and stated qualifications from health influencers, and CDSCO treats influencer campaigns that build brand recall as violations.^3,14

ASCI is the Advertising Standards Council of India, a self-regulatory body set up in 1985.¹⁸ Its influencer rules apply when a brand and an influencer have a "material connection", such as payment or free products.^14,15 A post about something an influencer bought and liked, with no brand link, is not an ad under these rules.¹⁴

• A visible label. Allowed labels include "Ad", "Sponsored", "Collaboration", "Partnership", "Affiliate" and Instagram's "Paid Partnership" tag.¹⁴ A label "should not be buried in a group of hashtags".¹⁴
• Qualifications first. Since August 2023, health and nutrition influencers need a relevant qualification, such as a medical degree or dietitian training.¹⁴ It must appear at the start of the video or post.¹⁴
• No celebrities. ASCI's celebrity guidelines say celebrities should not appear in ads for products whose ads are banned under the 1954 Act.¹⁶
• No rescue by small print. "A disclaimer should not attempt to correct a misleading claim," ASCI says. Its own example is a "lose up to 2 kgs" claim.¹⁶

Consumer law adds its own rules. The Central Consumer Protection Authority's 2022 guidelines ban "surrogate" ads for products whose ads are restricted by law.¹⁷ An ad counts as surrogate if it uses a restricted product's "brand name, logo, colour, layout and presentation".¹⁷ Endorsers must disclose any connection with the brand.¹⁷

ASCI's chief executive said in April 2026: "Brands and influencers should not promote prescription-only medicines."¹⁸ In the same report, ASCI said it had not yet received complaints following CDSCO's guidelines.¹⁸

How can you spot disguised promotion?

Ask who paid for a message and what it wants you to do, because promotion can look like an awareness campaign or a personal story.^3,18

Why good information feels scarce. The makers may not promote these medicines to the public, even through awareness campaigns that build brand recall.³ Lilly paused even its unbranded campaign.⁹ The head of an influencer industry body told Forbes India that much of this sits in a "grey zone". Influencers are "not explicitly naming drugs but implying usage", he said.¹⁸

None of these proves a rule was broken. They are reasons to look harder at who is behind a message. Our Guide 6 red-flag list covers clinics and apps, and our post on fake pens covers unlicensed sellers.

Two related posts cover who can prescribe GLP‑1 medicines in India and whether an online prescription is valid.

Where can you report a GLP-1 ad?

You can complain to ASCI for free on WhatsApp at 77100-12345, or tell your state drugs controller, who enforces the 1954 Act.^1,20,22

• ASCI. Complaints are free, on WhatsApp at 77100-12345 or at ascionline.in.²⁰ Where an ad may break the 1954 Act, ASCI says it refers the case to the relevant regulator.¹⁹
• Your state drugs controller. State-authorised officers enforce the 1954 Act.¹ CDSCO publishes each state's controller, email and address.²²

Healthcare ads were already a large share of ASCI's work. From April to September 2025, it found 81.6% of 332 healthcare cases broke the 1954 Act.¹⁹ Those figures cover all health ads, not GLP‑1s alone.¹⁹

Questions people ask

How we researched this

More from the India blog

INIndiaFake Ozempic and Mounjaro pens: how do you check yours in India? INIndiaWhat changed for Ozempic when semaglutide's patent expired in India? INIndiaDo ayurvedic, Patanjali or homeopathic weight-loss medicines work?