India to ban foreigners from surrogacy service

The Indian government plans to ban foreigners, single parents and gay couples from using India’s surrogacy services under a proposed law intended to protect poor women from exploitation.

Only infertile couples who have been married for at least five years could seek a surrogate, who must be a close relative, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said.

“There will be a complete ban on commercial surrogacy. Childless couples, who are medically unfit to have children, can take help from a close relative, in what is an altruistic surrogacy,” Ms Swaraj said at a news conference in New Delhi.