Reserve bank of India eases norms for foreign investors in currency derivatives

MUMBAI: To enhance the depth of the foreign exchange market, the Reserve Bank today allowed foreign portfolio investors to participate in the domestic exchange-traded currency derivatives.

At the same time, domestic players like exporters and importers would now require underlying exposure if they position beyond $ 10 million.

"It has now been decided to allow foreign portfolio investors (FPIs)...to access the currency futures or exchange traded currency options for the purpose of hedging the currency risk arising out of the market value of their exposure to Indian debt and equity securities," RBI said in a notification.

Such foreign investors can participate in the currency futures or exchange traded options market through any registered trading member of the exchange concerned, it said.

FPIs can take position in foreign currency up to $ 10 million or equivalent per exchange without having to establish existence of any underlying exposure, it said, adding position beyond $ 10 million in any exchange will be require an underlying exposure.

Requirement of an underlying exposure has been placed to check speculation in the currency market.

The onus of ensuring the existence of an underlying exposure would rest with the FPI concerned, it said.

In a separate notification, RBI said domestic participants would be be allowed to take position upto $ 10 million per exchange without having to establish the existence of any underlying exposure.

Domestic participants who want to take a position exceeding $ 10 million in the exchange-traded currency derivatives market will have to establish the existence of an underlying exposure, it said.

For the purpose of convenience, it said, exchanges may prescribe a fixed limit for the contracts in currencies other than $ such that the limit is within the equivalent of $ 10 million.

"In terms of the present regulatory framework, domestic participants in the currency futures and exchange traded options markets are not required to have any underlying exposure, while requirement of underlying is mandatory for taking a position in the over-the-counter derivatives markets," it added.

Capital market regulator Sebi has also issued a circular in this regard.

For participants who are exporters the eligible limit up to which they can take appropriate hedging positions in exchange-traded currency derivatives will be determined as higher of the average of the last three years' export turnover, or previous year's export turnover.