An Indian woman will in February give birth to her own grandchildren after agreeing to be a surrogate mother to her London-based daughter.

The 44-year-old woman from Gujarat has gone into hiding, fearing disapproval of her neighbours, The Sunday Times reported in London.

The daughter suffers from Rokitansky syndrome, a rare congenital condition that causes the uterus to develop abnormally but does not affect the ovaries. She and her husband were able to produce a test-tube embryo but failed to find anyone to carry the child.

Surrogates in England were asking too much money and Indian women flinched at the idea of bearing another man's child, the report said.

Finally, the couple's doctor persuaded the woman's mother to help. "Her first reaction was one of horror. What will people say? How can I deliver my own son-in-law's baby? No, I can't do this.

"But I prevailed on her and her other daughters also urged her to think about it," the doctor told the paper.

Eventually, she agreed because she wanted to make her daughter happy by giving her a baby to hold. Her husband was also very supportive.