The baby makers are many. The couple who supply the genetic material for the IVF procedure, the embryologist who creates the test tube baby, the gynaecologist who inserts the embryo into the surrogate and delivers the baby and, of course, the surrogate herself. Often, the egg or sperm is bought from an anonymous donor. Sometimes, the fully formed embryo itself is bought. Then there are the agents who supply the surrogates to people who need their services. The terrain of surrogacy is a complex one, of thorny ethical issues and delicate emotional ones.
This is a book about surrogacy in India and how it got transformed from a marginalized and socially unacceptable procedure to a multimillion-dollar industry. It examines surrogacy laws (rather, the lack of them) and the experiences of everyone – from the childless couple for whom this is their last hope, to the women for whom renting their womb means a change in their family’s fortunes, and everyone in between. Baby Makers uses rigorous journalistic research and compelling personal narratives to paint a picture that is as fascinating as it is frightening.