Heartbreaking footage has emerged of an abandoned baby being rescued in India after a farm worker discovered the newborn buried alive in a shallow grave, according to a report.

The video shows shocked villagers in Khatima, Uttarakhand, surrounding the mud-caked infant lying in the dirt among stones and roots, the Sun reported.

It was unclear when the baby was dumped at the site before the worker saw his head poking out of the ground.

The footage also captures the people swaddling the baby in cloth and wiping his mouth after the dramatic rescue.

The child was rushed to a hospital and was reportedly in stable condition after the ordeal.