The Reserve Bank of India today released draft directions on Financial Benchmark Administrators. Comments on the draft directions are invited from market participants and other interested parties by March 08, 2019.

Feedback on the draft directions may be forwarded to:

The Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India
Financial Markets Regulation Department
1st Floor, Main Building
Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort,
Mumbai – 400001

Or by email with subject line “Feedback on draft directions on Financial Benchmark Administrators”

Background

Reserve Bank of India had, in its Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies, the Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement dated October 05, 2018, announced that it will introduce a regulatory framework for financial benchmarks, to improve the governance of the benchmark processes in markets regulated by the Reserve Bank. It was also announced in the Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies, in the Sixth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement dated February 7, 2019 that the draft guidelines would be issued for public consultation. Accordingly, draft directions on Financial Benchmark Administrators are being issued for consultation.

These draft directions are based on the Report of the Committee on Financial Benchmarks set up by the Reserve Bank and are guided by the International best practices such as the Principles for Financial Benchmarks of International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) as well as the laws/ regulations put in place in other jurisdictions.

Ajit Prasad
Assistant Adviser

Financial benchmark administration: draft regulatory directions issued for public consultation to strengthen benchmark governance and oversight. Draft directions on Financial Benchmark Administrators have been issued for public consultation, inviting market participants to submit feedback to the Reserve Bank via the designated contact or email. The draft, based on the Committee on Financial Benchmarks' report and international best practices, seeks to establish a regulatory framework to strengthen governance, oversight and supervisory expectations for benchmark administrators in markets regulated by the Reserve Bank.