India Plans on Banning Surrogacy Services to Single Parents, Foreigners, & Same-Sex Couples

The government in India has announced that they are planning to ban the use of all surrogate services to foreigners, single parents, and same-sex couples in an attempt to prevent the exploitation of poor women. Infertility groups have since questioned the law saying that it has potential to bring forth illegal services.

India currently possesses ⅓ of the world's extremely poor population and many believe this to contribute to it becoming a "surrogacy hub." The industry brings in nearly one billion dollars every year with its services to people around the globe, NBC reports.

At a news conference in New Delhi, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said that there still remains a chance for infertile couples of at least five years to use surrogate services in the country.

“Childless couples, who are medically unfit to have children, can take help from a close relative, in what is an altruistic surrogacy," said Swaraj.

The qualifications of how "close" a relative must be remains unclear. But the law will first need to be passed by both houses of parliament before it can actually come into effect.