NEW DELHI: India is facing a silent reproductive health crisis: of the estimated 27.5 million individuals grappling with infertility, male factors contribute to 40–50% of cases, an often-overlooked reality, according to top fertility experts.
The statistic challenges longstanding perceptions that place the burden of infertility primarily on women.
“For too long, infertility has been viewed through a gendered lens that sidelines men. The data now compels us to confront male infertility as a mainstream medical issue, not a marginal one,” said Dr. Pankaj Talwar, President of IFS, at the 6th National IVF Summit & Awards 2025.
Male infertility, experts say, is being driven by a confluence of modern stressors, ranging from poor lifestyle habits like smoking and alcohol use to rising obesity, environmental pollutants, and hormonal imbalances. Yet, societal stigma and silence continue to impede timely diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Ameet Patki, President of ISAR, warned that while India's IVF market is projected to soar, from USD 750 million in 2020 to a staggering USD 3.7 billion by 2030 those figures represent more than just business growth.
“Behind the market expansion are millions of emotionally taxing, often invisible journeys. Nearly half of these involve male-factor infertility, but men remain largely absent from the conversation,” Dr Patki said at the just-concluded summit, which was hosted by the Integrated Health & Wellbeing (IHW) Council in collaboration with the Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR) and supported by the Indian Fertility Society (IFS).
This exclusion has real-world consequences: delays in diagnosis, gendered treatment approaches, and emotional distress for couples navigating the healthcare system.
According to Kamal Narayan, CEO of the IHW Council, “Male infertility is no longer a fringe issue, it is a national health priority. We cannot talk about inclusive fertility care without addressing this reality head-on.”
The summit brought together clinicians, embryologists, hospital leaders, legal experts, and patient advocates in a bid to realign India's fertility care narrative.
One notable moment came with the launch of the book How to Freeze Your Biological Clock by Dr. Gunjan Gupta, Medical Director of Gunjan IVF World. Though primarily aimed at guiding women through fertility preservation, the book also contributes to the broader conversation around evidence-based and gender-inclusive fertility planning.
The message from experts is clear: India’s fertility ecosystem must move beyond stigma and adopt a scientifically grounded, emotionally attuned approach that acknowledges infertility as a shared burden. And male reproductive health as a critical part of the solution.