**Summary:**
This circular, issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on June 18, 2021, under reference number SEBI/HO/IMD/IMD-I/DOF2/P/CIR/2021/580, modifies existing guidelines for mutual fund (MF) investments in derivatives, specifically regarding Interest Rate Swaps (IRS). The circular amends paragraph 8 of the earlier circular Cir/IMD/DF/1/2010 dated August 18, 2010.
The key change permits Mutual Funds to engage in plain vanilla IRS for hedging purposes, with the notional principal value capped at the value of the assets being hedged. For Over-the-Counter (OTC) IRS transactions, the counterparty must be a Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-recognized market maker, and exposure to a single counterparty is limited to 10% of the scheme's net assets. This single counterparty limit of 10% is waived if the IRS transactions are executed through an electronic trading platform offered by the Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL), where CCIL acts as the central counterparty guaranteeing settlement.
This circular is issued under the authority granted by Section 11(1) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, and Regulation 77 of SEBI Mutual Funds Regulations, 1996, aimed at protecting investor interests, promoting market development, and regulating the securities market.
For further information, Hruda Ranjan Sahoo, Deputy General Manager, can be contacted at Tel. No. 022-26449586 or via email at hrsahoo@sebi.gov.in.
Key Entities Referenced
Securities and Exchange Board of India: Regulatory body for the securities market in India.
Mutual Funds: Collective investment schemes that pool money from many investors to purchase securities.
Asset Management Companies: Companies that manage investment funds on behalf of clients.
Association of Mutual Funds in India: Industry body for mutual funds in India.
Interest Rate Swaps: Financial derivative contracts where two parties exchange interest rate cash flows.
Reserve Bank of India: Central bank of India.
Clearing Corporation of India Ltd.: Organization that provides clearing and settlement services for financial transactions in India.
Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992: Law that established the Securities and Exchange Board of India and defines its powers and functions.
¼ããÀ¦ããè¾ã ¹ãÆãä¦ã¼ãîãä¦ã ‚ããõÀ ãäÌããä¶ã½ã¾ã ºããñ¡Ã
Securities and Exchange Board of India
CIRCULAR
SEBI/HO/IMD/IMD-I DOF2/P/CIR/2021/580 June 18, 2021
All Mutual Funds (MFs)/
Asset Management Companies (AMCs)/
Trustee Companies/ Board of Trustees of Mutual Funds/
Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI)
Sir/Madam,
Sub: Norms for investment and disclosure by Mutual Funds in Derivatives
1. SEBI vide Circular No. Cir/IMD/DF/11/2010 dated August 18, 2010 has, inter
alia, prescribed the guidelines for participation of mutual fund schemes in
Interest Rate Swaps (IRS). In this regard based on the feedback received from
the industry, it has been decided to modify paragraph 8 of the aforesaid circular
as follows:
“8. (a) Mutual Funds may enter into plain vanilla Interest Rate Swaps (IRS) for
hedging purposes. The value of the notional principal in such cases must not
exceed the value of respective existing assets being hedged by the scheme.
(b) In case of participation in IRS is through over the counter transactions, the
counter party has to be an entity recognized as a market maker by RBI and
exposure to a single counterparty in such transactions should not exceed 10%
of the net assets of the scheme. However, if mutual funds are transacting in IRS
through an electronic trading platform offered by the Clearing Corporation of
Page 1 of 2¼ããÀ¦ããè¾ã ¹ãÆãä¦ã¼ãîãä¦ã ‚ããõÀ ãäÌããä¶ã½ã¾ã ºããñ¡Ã
Securities and Exchange Board of India
India Ltd. (CCIL) and CCIL is the central counterparty for such transactions
guaranteeing settlement, the single counterparty limit of 10% shall not be
applicable.”
2. This circular is issued in exercise of powers conferred under Section 11 (1) of the
Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, read with the provisions of
Regulation 77 of SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996, to protect the interests
of investors in securities and to promote the development of, and to regulate the
securities market.
Yours faithfully,
Hruda Ranjan Sahoo
Deputy General Manager
Tel. No.022-26449586
hrsahoo@sebi.gov.in
Page 2 of 2