Aishwarya Mohanraj names Mounjaro, spotlighting GLP-1’s rise

When comedian and content creator Aishwarya Mohanraj revealed in a recent YouTube video that she used Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro injections for weight loss, she did something few Indian public figures have: publicly name a GLP-1 drug.

The disclosure arrives at a moment when pharmaceutical companies are carefully building awareness around obesity as a medical condition, while influencer culture is accelerating the conversation in ways advertising regulations often cannot.

In the video, Mohanraj said she lost more than 20 kg over six months under medical supervision, attributing her decision to underlying conditions such as PCOS, insulin resistance, and hypothyroidism.

She spoke candidly about side effects, including nausea and hair loss, as well as the cost of treatment, repeatedly emphasising that the injections were not a shortcut but part of a clinically guided process.

Her admission is notable because rapid celebrity weight loss has increasingly sparked rumours around GLP-1 drugs, yet few Indian influencers or public figures have publicly acknowledged using them.

From speculation to disclosure

GLP-1 medications — originally developed for type-2 diabetes — have quickly become associated with dramatic weight loss globally. In India, awareness has grown more quietly, fuelled by social media chatter and visible transformations rather than public confirmation.

Mohanraj’s disclosure shifts the conversation from anonymous speculation to first-person storytelling. For marketers observing the space, such transparency acts as organic category education in a market where direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs is restricted.

The creator’s emphasis on hormonal health and medical supervision also mirrors a broader industry effort to reposition obesity as a metabolic health issue rather than a purely aesthetic pursuit.

Eli Lilly’s education-first narrative

The timing of the video coincides with Eli Lilly’s ongoing awareness push around obesity in India. As previously reported by afaqs!, the company released a print campaign urging audiences to see obesity through a scientific lens rather than shame:  a strategy shaped by regulations that limit direct promotion of prescription medicines.

Read: Eli Lilly sells science, not shame, to prime India’s obesity & GLP-1 market

Instead of product-led messaging, such campaigns focus on disease awareness and consultation with healthcare professionals. Influencer narratives like Mohanraj’s, even when independent of brand partnerships, reinforce this shift by bringing medical vocabulary into mainstream digital conversations.

GLP-1’s growing advertising footprint

The category’s visibility is also expanding globally. Weight-loss drugs recently found presence around Super Bowl advertising conversations, highlighting how pharma brands are experimenting with culturally resonant storytelling to build awareness.

In India, where similar direct advertising isn’t possible, influencer disclosures, doctor-led education, and disease-awareness campaigns are emerging as key touchpoints shaping how audiences perceive the category.