Driven by an overwhelming desire to have a baby... a Canadian woman hires a surrogate in India.  A business transaction that would be illegal in this country - commercial surrogacy in India is an ever expanding and increasingly controversial industry. Sound labour market or modern slavery?

Listen to Of Mothers & Merchants: (Pop-up)

Part Three of The Current

Of Mothers & Merchants: Commercial Surrogacy

Infertility can be shocking, heartbreaking -- and very expensive. In-vitro fertilization, embryo freezing, and adoption all drain bank accounts.

Another solution for many infertile couples -- international surrogacy - has become a big business. Would-be parents from Canada and elsewhere hire women abroad to carry their babies.

Many go to India, where the lack of regulation sparks debate over whether surrogates are exploited or empowered. Tanya Springer travelled to India to look into this story and she joined Jim Brown from our studio in Toronto to introduce her documentary, Of Mothers and Merchants.

Other segments from today's show:

• Canadian veterans privacy violation
• Math equations that changed the world