Govt advances law to clamp down on surrogate mothers

At a hostel for dozens of pregnant women, impoverished widow Sharmila Mackwan weighs up her decision to carry twins for another couple - her only ticket out of poverty - as the government moves to close India's multimillion dollar surrogacy industry.

She has left her own children at an orphanage for the whole nine months of her pregnancy because her contract stipulates she has to stay at the housing facility, which is attached to the hospital she will deliver at in western Gujarat state.

She also knows the 400,000 rupees ($6,000) she will eventually earn for safely giving birth to the twins will change her family's fortunes.