http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/indian-surrogacy-industry-booming/2009/01/30/1232818725688.html
Cheap wombs for rent . nine-month contracts only and no bond Matt Wade Herald Correspondent in New Delhi January 31, 2009 Latest related coverage a.. The takeaway baby boom a.. Law not keeping pace with Indian baby industry NEELAM CHAUHAN has made a profession of pregnancy. The single mother, 34, from the suburbs of New Delhi will soon give birth for a fifth time - but only two of those babies have been her own. She is part of a booming industry that has had a marked jump in the number of women volunteering for surrogacy in India since the world economy soured last year. Ms Chauhan is upfront about why she has undertaken three surrogacies over the past five years. "The main reason I did this is because I had financial problems." She was paid $2400 for her first surrogate pregnancy, which she used to pay off debts after a divorce. For her second surrogacy she was paid $6060 and a large bonus that helped her buy a house. She plans to put away most of this year's $10,500 payment for the education of her two sons, Pankaj, 12, and Shivam 10. Lax regulation, cheap medical care and a supply of low-cost surrogate mothers have made India a leader in commercial surrogacy. There are no official figures, but it is likely that hundreds of surrogate babies are being born each year in the country. According to some estimates the number has doubled in the past three years. The Herald reported last week that some of this demand was coming from Australia, where at least 30 couples are pursuing surrogacy in India. Critics of India's surrogacy industry say the practice exploits the poor and puts the health of vulnerable women at risk. Anoop Gupta, who runs Delhi-IVF, the clinic facilitating Ms Chauhan's pregnancy, says middle-class women are becoming surrogates to pay for a better family lifestyle. "We are getting a lot more walk-in surrogates who are well educated," he said. "Often ladies come in with their husbands to inquire about surrogacy, saying they want to use the money to buy a car or do up the interior." Even so, demand remains strong. Dr Gupta says he sometimes gets 20 emails a day from couples around the world inquiring about surrogacy. "Their reasons are always the same: good medical treatment, cheaper rates in India and no legal hassles involved. There's so many inquiries now I've given up replying to them all."
