Commercial surrogacy in India is a booming industry, however the rising number of poor, illiterate women's participation as commercial surrogates poses serious questions of coercion; on the other hand it economically empowers them. In this context, this article analyses the crucial question, “Can coercion be justified when it benefits the poor by investigating commercial surrogates’ life stories and looking into the various types of coercion discreetly operated?” It concludes with a few recommendations that can help in eliminating coercion in the commercial surrogacy industry in India.