India's market regulator has approved index derivatives contracts tailored to
foreign investors, people familiar with the matter said. The National Stock
Exchange has received Securities and Exchange Board of India approval to launch
futures and options linked to the Nifty India FPI 150 index. The index, launched
in August last year, tracks 150 stocks screened for foreign-investability — a
criterion used by global benchmarks such as MSCI when selecting constituents.
NSE declined to comment, citing IPO preparations; SEBI did not respond. More
than two-thirds of NSE's revenue came from derivatives in the last fiscal year.
The exchange is seeking to expand its product suite ahead of a planned September
listing. The move comes as India seeks to regain foreign investors after
equity-market losses prompted several months of overseas outflows.
