Fertility and family-building glossaries commonly include terms such as single woman or solo parent, same-sex couple, LGBTQ+, gestational carrier, genetic parent, gestational parent, and intended parent, which describe roles and identities relevant to many people seeking to build a family. Defining a term here does not mean that every family-building pathway it describes is currently legally available to every person or relationship structure in India. India's ART (Regulation) Act, 2021 and Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 set out specific, restrictive eligibility criteria for who may access certain treatments and surrogacy arrangements in India, and these criteria have changed the legal landscape for many people, including unmarried individuals, same-sex couples, and others, compared with earlier practice. Because these rules are detailed, specific to individual circumstances, and subject to amendment, this glossary does not state who is or is not eligible for a given pathway in general terms. Anyone considering fertility treatment, donor conception, or surrogacy in India should read India's dedicated ART-law guides and, where needed, seek independent legal advice about their own eligibility before assuming any pathway is available to them. This is general information about India's ART and surrogacy framework and is not personalised legal advice. India legal information last reviewed: 9 September 2026.
Also known as: single woman fertility treatment, solo parent, same-sex couple fertility India, LGBTQ+ fertility India, gestational carrier, genetic parent, gestational parent, intended parent
Related India guides
Sources
- Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, with the ART (Regulation) Rules and subsequent amendments and notifications (indiacode.nic.in; artsurrogacy.gov.in)
Last reviewed: 9 September 2026. Written by the Antega Editorial Team. General information only — always follow the advice of your own clinic, doctor or pharmacist.