The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a Working Group on Interest Rate Futures. The Group would analyse the experience with Interest Rate Futures so far and focus, inter alia, on product design issues. The Group would revisit the recommendations of the earlier Committees in this area while making its own recommendations.

Interest Rate Futures products were introduced in India in June 2003. In the context of continued financial market development, the need for making available a credible choice of risk management instruments to market participants to cope with interest rate risk was discussed in the 25th and the 26th meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Money, Foreign Exchange and Government Securities Markets in December 2006 and July 2007, respectively. On the suggestion of the TAC, the Reserve Bank has now set up a Working Group. The terms of reference of the Working Group are as follows: 

(i) To review the experience with the Interest Rate Futures so far, with particular reference to product design issues and make recommendations for activating the Interest Rate Futures.

(ii) To examine whether regulatory guidelines for banks for Interest Rate Futures need to be aligned with those for their participation in Interest Rate Swaps.

(iii) To examine the scope and extent of the participation of non-residents, including Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), in Interest Rate Futures, consistent with the policy applicable to the underlying cash bond market.

(iv) To consider any other issues germane to the subject matter.

The members of the Working Group are as follows : 

The Group would submit its report to the Reserve Bank within three months of its first meeting.

Alpana Killawala
Chief General Manager

Press Release : 2007-2008/217