Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Is PGT-M legal and available in India? | CION Cancer Clinics
Yes. Testing embryos for a known inherited condition is legal in India at a registered clinic, and it is available in Hyderabad. Choosing an embryo by sex is forbidden. This page explains what the ART Act and the PCPNDT Act allow and forbid, where the law is less settled for cancer gene faults, and how to check that a clinic is working within the rules. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team helps carriers and their families plan checks, next steps and support after a genetic result.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Is PGT-M legal in India?
- What does the law require of the clinic and of you?
- How do you check a clinic is working within the law?
- The legal words, in plain language
- What the law allows, and what it forbids
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things people assume about the law
- Common questions about PGT-M and the law
The short answer
Is PGT-M legal in India?
Yes. Testing embryos for a known inherited condition is legal in India, as long as it is done at a registered clinic and never used to choose a baby's sex. Several registered clinics in Hyderabad and other large cities offer it.
The law that governs it
The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 covers IVF clinics and embryo testing. It says embryo testing may be used to screen for known, pre-existing, inherited or genetic diseases only. Clinics and the banks that store eggs and sperm must be registered, and both partners must give written consent.
What the law forbids
Choosing an embryo by sex, or telling anyone its sex, is forbidden. This is also the purpose of an older law, the PCPNDT Act, which covers tests both before conception and during pregnancy. The penalties include imprisonment and heavy fines, for the clinic and for anyone who asks.
The grey area for cancer genes
A confirmed family cancer gene fault is inherited, so it fits the wording of the law. But the law does not publish a list of approved conditions. Clinics decide case by case how to apply it to a fault that raises cancer risk in adult life, rather than one that causes illness in childhood.
This page explains the law in general terms. It is not legal advice for your situation.The ground rules
What does the law require of the clinic and of you?
Four rules shape every PGT-M treatment in India. A trustworthy clinic will explain each one without being asked.
A registered clinic
Every IVF clinic and every egg or sperm bank must be registered on the national registry. Registration is renewed periodically, and a clinic must meet set standards for staff and equipment to keep it.
Written consent from both partners
Both of you sign consent forms before treatment. These cover the testing, what happens to embryos that are not used, and how long they are stored.
Read closely before signing
- What happens to embryos carrying the fault
- Storage charges and time limits
- Who holds your genetic records
A known inherited condition
Testing must be for a specific inherited condition already found in the family. A general check of embryos, just in case, falls outside what the law describes for PGT-M.
No sex selection, ever
The clinic will not choose or reveal an embryo's sex, and asking is itself an offence. Any clinic that hints otherwise is breaking the law, and you should walk away.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistBefore you sign
How do you check a clinic is working within the law?
Check its registration
Ask for the clinic's registration details and confirm them on the National ART and Surrogacy Portal run by the health ministry.
Ask about your fault in writing
Send the genetic report and ask whether the clinic will offer PGT-M for that fault. A written answer avoids a surprise halfway through.
Ask which laboratory does the test
Find out where the embryo samples go, whether that laboratory is accredited, and whether it has tested for your gene before.
Keep copies of everything
Keep the signed consent forms, the estimate and every report. You may need them years later, for a frozen embryo or a relative.
In the paperwork
The legal words, in plain language
- ART Act
- The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021. It governs IVF clinics, egg and sperm banks, and embryo testing.
- PCPNDT Act
- The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act. Its main purpose is to stop sex selection before or during pregnancy.
- National Registry
- The government list of registered IVF clinics and banks. A clinic not on it should not be offering treatment.
- Informed consent
- Your written agreement, given after the clinic has explained the treatment, its limits and its risks in a way you understand.
- Sex selection
- Choosing an embryo or pregnancy by whether it is a boy or a girl. It is a criminal offence in India.
- Pre-existing condition
- In this law, a condition already known to run in the family before treatment begins.
Side by side
What the law allows, and what it forbids
Allowed
Forbidden
Testing embryos for a known inherited condition
Choosing or revealing an embryo's sex
Treatment at a registered clinic
Treatment at an unregistered clinic
Testing a pregnancy for a genetic condition
Any test used to find out the baby's sex
Freezing embryos under a signed agreement
Selling embryos, eggs or sperm
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Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether a particular clinic will treat you. That depends on the clinic, your exact fault and your circumstances. Rules under the Act, and how they are applied, also change over time. Check the current position with the clinic before you commit money or hope.
It cannot give you legal advice
If you have a legal question about consent, stored embryos or a dispute with a clinic, a lawyer who knows reproductive law is the right person. A genetic counsellor can explain the medical side, but not the legal one.
It cannot interpret your report
What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test. If your report shows only a variant of uncertain significance, meaning nobody yet knows whether it matters, PGT-M cannot be offered for it.
Who this does not apply to
Most carriers of a cancer gene fault never use PGT-M. Many have children naturally, and that is a fully legitimate choice.
Commonly believed
Four things people assume about the law
"Embryo testing is banned in India."
It is not. Testing embryos for a known inherited condition is legal at registered clinics. What is banned is using any test to choose or reveal sex.
"Families have to go abroad for PGT-M."
Registered clinics in Hyderabad and other large Indian cities offer it, working with laboratories that design family-specific tests. Going abroad is rarely necessary.
"If we are testing anyway, the clinic can tell us the sex."
It cannot, and a registered clinic will refuse. Asking for it is an offence in itself, whatever the reason given.
"India protects people from genetic discrimination."
India has no dedicated law on genetic discrimination in insurance or employment. Ask how your records are stored, and keep your own copies safe.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about PGT-M and the law
Can PGT-M be done for a BRCA fault in India?
A confirmed BRCA fault is inherited, so it fits the law's wording. Whether a clinic offers it depends on its own policy and ethics process. Send the report and ask in writing before you begin treatment.
Does the law cover unmarried couples or single women?
The Act sets out who may use assisted reproduction, along with age limits and consent rules. These details are specific and can change. Ask the clinic to explain how the current rules apply to you before any tests are paid for.
How do we know a clinic is registered?
Ask for its registration details and check them on the National ART and Surrogacy Portal. A registered clinic will share them readily. Hesitation or vague answers are a reason to look elsewhere.
Is testing a pregnancy also legal?
Yes, at centres registered under the PCPNDT Act, for genetic conditions. The centre will not reveal the baby's sex. Ending a pregnancy is governed by a separate law, the MTP Act, which sets time limits.
What happens to embryos we do not use?
You decide this in the consent forms before treatment. Options usually include keeping them frozen, letting them go, or donating them for research where permitted. Selling them is not allowed.
Must we tell a future spouse about the fault?
No law requires it. Many families still find it wiser to share before marriage, especially when children are planned. A counsellor can help you decide how and when, including how to phrase it for elders.
Can a clinic refuse to offer PGT-M?
Yes. A clinic can decline, particularly for a fault that raises cancer risk only in adult life. Another registered clinic may take a different view, so ask more than one if you are refused.
Who can guide us through this?
A genetic counsellor for the medical side and a registered fertility clinic for treatment. Call the CION helpline if you are not sure where to start, and we will point you to the right counsellor.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Sources
- PRS Legislative Research — The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2020
- Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare — National ART and Surrogacy Portal
- PRS Legislative Research — The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority — Approved PGT-M and PTT conditions
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Talk to us
Not sure whether embryo testing is open to your family?
Share the genetic report with us and tell us what you are considering. We will arrange genetic counselling that explains your options and the questions to take to a registered clinic. One helpline serves every CION centre.