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India’s metabolic therapy landscape is undergoing a structural shift following the patent expiry of semaglutide, triggering a rapid transition from a premium, innovator-led market to a highly competitive, volume-driven segment. Historically constrained by high prices and limited access, the category is now witnessing a sharp inflection in demand, supported by significant price erosion of nearly 85–90% and a surge in product launches.The addressable opportunity remains substantial. With an estimated 75–80 million obese individuals and a large proportion suffering from co-morbid conditions, the need for structured obesity management is becoming increasingly evident. GLP-1 penetration, which remained low due to patent protection, is now expected to rise meaningfully as affordability improves and distribution expands. Over the next 3–5 years, the market could scale to INR34–67 billion, driven by rising patient adoption and chronic therapy demand.A key growth driver is the expanding prescriber base. While endocrinologists and diabetologists remain primary stakeholders, adoption is increasingly being supported by cardiologists, gastroenterologists, gynaecologists, and other specialists due to the multi-system impact of obesity and metabolic disorders. This broadening ecosystem is expected to accelerate awareness, referrals, and prescription volumes, reinforcing long-term demand visibility.However, the sector faces structural challenges. The entry of over 10–15 players has intensified competition, leading to rapid market fragmentation and pricing pressures. Despite a large volume opportunity, individual revenue gains are likely to remain modest, with low single-digit contribution to overall sales for most participants. Limited prescription bandwidth—where physicians typically engage with only a handful of brands—further constrains market share potential, increasing the need for aggressive marketing and elevating promotional costs.Pricing dynamics also reflect a clear stratification, with premium, mid-tier, and mass-market strategies co-existing. While this enhances accessibility, it accelerates commoditisation, weighing on margins across the value chain. Additionally, companies risk diverting focus from established portfolios amid heightened competition in this segment.An emerging structural trend is the rising preference for next-generation therapies. Even as semaglutide drives awareness and category expansion, newer molecules with superior efficacy are witnessing faster uptake and stronger physician preference, indicating a potential shift in long-term market leadership.Overall, the GLP-1 segment in India presents a compelling volume-led growth opportunity underpinned by strong demand fundamentals. However, the combination of pricing pressure, intense competition, and limited differentiation suggests that value capture may remain constrained, making scale and execution critical in navigating this evolving landscape.Ajanta Pharma: Buy| Target Rs 3400Ajanta Pharma is preparing to launch generic semaglutide post patent expiry of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic/Wegovy in India, while continuing to expand its portfolio in high-growth segments such as dermatology, pain management, and nephrology. Ajanta Pharma’s long-term growth is driven by its expanding presence in branded generics across India, US, Africa, and Asia, with a focus on chronic therapies and new launches supporting sustained demand and deeper penetration in high-growth markets. Management expects mid-teens revenue growth with EBITDA margins around 27%, supported by expansion in Asia and Africa, a strong US product pipeline, and strategic addition of medical representatives to drive execution.Sun Pharma: Buy| Target Rs 1940Sun Pharma's Innovation momentum remains a key growth pillar, with specialty and novel therapies scaling up meaningfully. USD1b+ innovative sales (ex-milestones) provide resilience against US pricing pressure, while strong domestic formulation execution, consistent market share gains, and ROW/EM stability underpin diversified, sustainable growth drivers. In 3QFY26, SUNP delivered in-line adjusted revenues and EBITDA 6% ahead of estimates, supported by robust DF growth and favorable mix. Margin expansion reflected execution strength, partly offset by continued weakness in US generics due to regulatory headwinds at select sites. We estimate EM+ROW revenues to reach INR230b over FY25-28 at 12% CAGR, while specialty sales grow 11% CAGR to USD1.7b. Sustained DF outperformance, rising innovative R&D intensity, and steady pipeline launches support earnings visibility.(The author is Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Research - Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services) (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Friday they were ready to intervene militarily if other countries joined the United States and Israel in their war against Iran, or if the Red Sea was used to launch attacks on the Islamic Republic."We confirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention" if any ‌new alliances ⁠join Washington ⁠and Israel against Iran and its allies, or if the Red Sea is used for "hostile operations" against Iran, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech.You may follow our coverage of the West Asia war hereSaree also said the Houthis were prepared to act if what he called the escalation against Iran and the "axis of resistance" continued, but did not say what form any intervention would take.The warning raises the prospect of a broader ⁠regional confrontation, particularly given ‌the Houthis' ability to strike targets far beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula. Iran's Shi'ite allies in Lebanon and ⁠Iraq have already joined the war in the region triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran. The Houthis had not until now announced any direct entry into the war, despite their military capabilities and geographic position overlooking the Red Sea.In his speech, Saree also said the group would not allow the Red Sea to be used to carry out "hostile operations" against Iran or any Muslim country. He warned against any further tightening of ‌what he described as "the blockade on Yemen."Saree called for an immediate halt to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and allied countries, including Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Iraq, ⁠and urged the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.Also read: Elon Musk joins PM Modi and Trump's call on Iran conflict in a rare wartime moveAfter the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered the war in Gaza, the Houthis began attacking international shipping in the Red Sea, saying they were acting in support of Palestinians.The group also launched drones and missiles towards Israel, drawing retaliatory airstrikes from Israel and U.S. attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen.The Houthis halted those attacks after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October 2025.

Mumbai: The Indian rupee fell to a record on Friday, breaching the 94-per-dollar mark for the first time and teetering on the brink of 95, as surging crude oil prices weighed on the currency over fears that the Gulf war shows little sign of ending soon. Indian equities also got mauled-indices tumbled over 2% on Friday, marking a fifth consecutive week of declines-the longest losing bout since August-as investors remained wary despite US President Donald Trump extending the pause on attacks on Iran's power plants by 10 days. Weak global cues and concerns over oil prices weighed on sentiment, with analysts warning of further near-term declines. In the event of the conflict continuing to rage unchecked amid subdued central bank intervention, some traders are expecting the Indian currency to sink even further. The rupee closed at 94.81 to the dollar on Friday, weakening 84 paise from its previous close of 93.97. The rupee weakened to 94.85 at its lowest on Friday and has declined over 3.5% this month, LSEG data showed. Brent crude oil prices rose by $1.87, or 1.73%, to $109.88 a barrel. While state-run banks sold dollars, likely on behalf of the central bank, the intervention was muted, traders said. 129857252 Strait Closure Taking Toll That makes the rupee vulnerable to further depreciation, with many traders incorporating levels as weak as 97 per dollar into their forecasts. "Nothing really changes until the Strait of Hormuz opens up," said Anindya Banerjee, head of commodity and currency at Kotak Securities. "Even if the intensity of the war eases a bit, as long as there's still friction around the strait and oil is hovering near $115, the rupee could easily drift towards the 96 to 97 per dollar range." The NSE Nifty closed at 22,819.60, down 486.85 points or 2.1%, while the BSE Sensex ended at 73,583.22, falling 1,690.23 points or 2.3%. Both indices declined 1.3% over the past week. The Volatility Index (VIX) urged 8.7% to a four-year high of 26.8, reflecting heightened near-term risk expectations.

Kolkata\Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India has capped banks' net open positions in the rupee at $100 million at the end of each business day, tightening its oversight in the foreign exchange market as the currency slid to record lows. In a notification issued Friday, the central bank asked authorised dealers of foreign currency to comply with the rule by April 10. The cap will be on their open position on the onshore deliverable market. "Traders must be long on the dollar in a large way. This regulation basically curbs speculative positions of a bank, which will in turn reduce pressure on the rupee," said a currency trader at a private sector bank. "This is called the overnight open position which traders are allowed to keep in respect of all currencies involving the rupee. For a large bank, these positions can usually be at around $1 billion both in onshore and offshore markets," he said. RBI prescribes limits for open positions involving the rupee for exchange rate management and orderly development of the market, depending on market conditions. The rupee has depreciated 3.5% since the start of the war and nearly 10% in this fiscal year. High crude oil prices are clouding the outlook for the local unit, with traders now expecting the rupee to touch 96-97 per dollar if oil prices remain around $115 per barrel. "It has now been decided that authorised dealers shall ensure that their NOP-INR positions in the onshore deliverable market shall be maintained within $100 million at the end of each business day," RBI said Friday in its master direction on risk management and inter-bank dealings.

Online furniture rental platform Rentomojo has filed for an initial ‌public ⁠offering ⁠in Mumbai, according to a draft prospectus dated Friday. The company is ⁠selling new ‌shares worth up ⁠to 1.5 billion rupees ($15.85 million), while existing shareholders, including venture capital firm Accel, ‌is selling up to 28.4 million ⁠shares, the filing showed.