Indore:
Madhya Pradesh is witnessing a rise in surrogacy as childless couples from India and abroad are thronging the state in search of women who are ready to rent their wombs for a price.
The trend has consequently led to the increase in the number of women who are willing to become surrogate mothers to fulfill their financial needs.
"Surrogacy is thriving in Madhya Pradesh. People are now economically and mentally strong and willing to sidestep traditional beliefs to have children through this method," infertility expert Dr Dinesh Jain said.
"Financial cost of surrogacy is 5-6 times lower in India than European countries. Besides, it is difficult to get a surrogate mother in those countries following stringent laws in vogue there," Jain said.
Indore, Madhya Pradesh's commercial centre, has become a hub for surrogacy as childless couples, including Non Resident Indians (NRIs), from all over the world are flocking here, health officials have said.
According to them, In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centres in the state charge Rs 4 lakh or more from a needy couple for surrogacy.
Advocate Piyush Jain, who handles surrogacy-related cases, said a proper law should be in put in place to deal with issues arising out of this Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
The Health Department should keep an eye on clinics which are providing surrogacy facilities to ensure that they were following Indian Council for Medical Research guidelines, he added.
The ART industry, of which surrogacy is a part, is estimated to run in several thousand crores in the country.
In India surrogacy is ungoverned by any laws, though a 2009 Law Commission report has stressed the need to regulate ART clinics.