What does Eli Lilly do? Mounjaro maker to invest $1 billion in India

Eli Lilly and Company, the Indianapolis-based drugmaker behind weight-loss drug Mounjaro, diabetes treatments like Trulicity, and cancer therapy Verzenio, is deepening its ties with India.

The company began operations in the country back in 1961 as Lilly India, with commercial offices in Gurugram, New Delhi and Bengaluru, and a manufacturing plant near Ahmedabad.

On Monday, Eli Lilly said it would invest $1 billion into India over the next few years to expand contract manufacturing. Existing facilities would see capacity upgrades, and a new manufacturing and quality hub would rise in Hyderabad, according to the company.

Lilly’s India link

Eli Lilly and Co said the move aims to tap into India’s skilled workforce and competitive costs, with job openings for engineers, chemists, quality control specialists and managers expected soon.

Patrik Jonsson, Eli Lilly’s head of international operations, praised India’s contract manufacturing networks. He noted that working with local partners helps scale up production “with quality always at the core.”

Since 2020, Eli Lilly has invested over $55 billion worldwide in new plants and upgrades to support treatments for diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy highlighted the city’s growing stature after Eli Lilly opened its Innovation and Technology site there and launched earlier manufacturing collaborations.

Lilly India’s Sanand plant already supplies formulations to markets at home and abroad, while its office teams and clinical trial partnerships ensure a steady pipeline of research in areas such as neuroscience and cardiovascular care. The $1 billion infusion is expected to help Eli Lilly meet rising demand for medicines and strengthen its global supply chain—all while creating thousands of local jobs.