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RBI Extends Helping Hand To Restore Market Trading Hours

Reserve Bank of India (RBI), stated that the trading hours of RBI-regulated markets for various debts as well as the currency market would be restored in a phased manner on November 2, 2020. The revised timings will come in effect from November 9 2020. The statement was made by the apex bank keeping in mind, the COVID-19 pandemic. It is to be noted that the Indian economy met its worst annual contraction in over 40 years, after the pandemic set in. The Central bank regulates corporate bond/commercial paper, government security, deposit certificate, foreign exchange and currency and commodity derivatives instruments.

Revised Trading Hours (with effect from November 9)

Market Description Existing Timing Revised Timing
Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives *  

 

 

 

 

10:00 am to 02:00 pm

 

 

 

 

 

10 am to 03:30 pm

Foreign Currency (FCY)/Indian Rupee (INR) Trades, including Forex Derivatives *

Government Securities (Central Government Securities, State Development Loans and Treasury Bills)

Repo in Corporate Bonds

Commercial Paper and Certificates of Deposit

Call/notice/term money

Tri-party Repo in Government Securities 10:00 am to 03:00 pm

Market Repo in Government Securities

10:00 am to 02:30 pm

(Source: RBI)

*other than those traded on recognized stock exchanges

Need to amend Trading Hours

According to the official statement, trading hours were amended due to the following reasons:-

  1. The graded roll-back of lockdown;
  2. To align with the easing of restrictions on the operation of offices and the movement of people.

The Trading Hours were initially amended on April 7, this year due to the operational dislocations and high risks posed by the pandemic. The market opening time was changed to 10:00 am from 9:00 am for all segments. The market closing time was revised to 2:00 pm.

Experts’ Opinion

Naveen Singh, Senior Vice-President at ICICI Securities Primary Dealership, said “Rather than making it from 9 to 5 pm immediately, RBI has decided to extend the hours in a phased manner. It’s a move in the right direction. With extension of hours, we could see people come back to office and trading practice get back to normalcy.”

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