Executive Summary:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued revised directions for accessing the Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching (NDSOM) platform, aimed at streamlining the access process and broadening the range of eligible entities. These directions, effective October 18, 2024, supersede previous circulars on the matter. The directions outline eligibility criteria, application procedures, and conditions for both direct and indirect access to NDSOM.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Purpose:** To notify revised access criteria for the NDSOM platform.
* **Supersession of Previous Circulars:** Circulars IDMD.DOD.No.5893/10.25.66/2007-08 dated May 27, 2008, and IDMD.DOD.No.13/10.25.66/2011-12 dated November 18, 2011, are withdrawn.
* **Legal Basis:** These directions are issued under Section 45W of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
* **Effective Date:** The directions are effective from October 18, 2024.
**Eligibility for Access:**
* Any entity eligible to invest in Government securities can access NDSOM through direct or indirect access.
**Direct Access:**
* **Eligible Entities:** Banks, Standalone Primary Dealers, Non-Banking Financial Companies (including Housing Finance Companies), All India Financial Institutions, Mutual Funds, Provident Funds, Pension Funds, Insurance Companies, Regulated Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs), and any other entity specifically permitted by the Reserve Bank.
* **Requirements:** SGL account with the Reserve Bank, current account with the Reserve Bank or a Designated Settlement Bank (DSB), and membership of the securities settlement segment of Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
* **Application:** Eligible entities can apply in the format given in the Annex to the Chief General Manager, Financial Markets Regulation Department, Reserve Bank of India, or through the procedure stipulated under the Master Directions on Access Criteria for Payment Systems.
* **Granting/Termination of Access:** The Reserve Bank holds the authority to grant, suspend, or terminate direct access based on eligibility, compliance with regulations, market conduct, or public interest.
**Indirect Access:**
* Available to entities not eligible or not meeting requirements for direct access, or those not granted direct access.
* Indirect access must be through an entity with direct access, which assumes responsibility for settlement.
* Entities permitted to maintain both SGL and constituent accounts may choose indirect access.
Impact Analysis:
**Banks, Standalone Primary Dealers, Non-Banking Financial Companies (including Housing Finance Companies), All India Financial Institutions, Mutual Funds, Provident Funds, Pension Funds, Insurance Companies, Regulated Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs):**
* Impact: These entities are now subject to the revised access criteria for direct participation on the NDSOM platform.
* Action Required: Review the new directions to ensure compliance with eligibility and operational requirements for direct access. If seeking direct access, apply as per the specified procedure.
**Entities Seeking Indirect Access to NDSOM:**
* Impact: These entities are subject to the revised guidelines governing indirect access through entities with direct access.
* Action Required: Ensure that their arrangements with entities providing direct access comply with the new directions.
**Entities with Existing Direct Access to NDSOM (Granted under Previous Circulars):**
* Impact: Their existing access is deemed to have been granted under these new directions and is now governed by them.
* Action Required: Review the new directions to ensure continued compliance, as their access is now subject to these revised terms.
Key Entities Referenced
Reserve Bank of India: The central bank of India, responsible for issuing these directions.
Government Securities: Debt instruments issued by the Government of India.
NDSOM: Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching, an electronic trading platform for Government securities authorized by the Reserve Bank of India.
Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934: The Act of the Indian Parliament that established the Reserve Bank of India and governs its operations.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: The city in India where the Financial Markets Regulation Department of the Reserve Bank of India is located.
Clearing Corporation of India Limited: An organization that provides clearing and settlement services for financial instruments, including Government securities, in India.
Financial Markets Regulation Department: A department of the Reserve Bank of India.
Government Securities Act, 2006: An act related to government securities.
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
www.rbi.org.in
RBI/FMRD/2024-25/124
FMRD.MIOD.No.04/11.01.041/2024-25 October 18, 2024
To
All participants in Government Securities market
Madam/Sir,
Reserve Bank of India (Access Criteria for NDS-OM) Directions, 2024
A reference is invited to circulars IDMD.DOD.No.5893/10.25.66/2007-08 dated May 27,
2008 and IDMD.DOD.No.13/10.25.66/2011-12 dated November 18, 2011 issued by the
Reserve Bank on guidelines relating to access to Negotiated Dealing System-Order
Matching (NDS-OM) electronic trading platform.
2. The access criteria for the NDS-OM platform contained in the aforesaid circulars have
been reviewed. Direct access to NDS-OM has been extended to a broader set of regulated
entities and the process for seeking direct access to NDS-OM under these Directions or
through the procedure stipulated under the Master Directions on Access Criteria for
Payment Systems (Master Direction DPSS.CO.OD.No.1846/04.04.009/2016-17 dated
January 17, 2017) as amended from time to time, has been streamlined.
3. Directions to notify the revised access criteria for NDS-OM platform are being issued
herewith.
4. Accordingly, circulars IDMD.DOD.No.5893/10.25.66/2007-08 dated May 27, 2008 and
IDMD.DOD.No.13/10.25.66/2011-12 dated November 18, 2011 issued by the Reserve
Bank shall stand withdrawn. Direct access to NDS-OM granted in terms of these circulars
shall be deemed to have been granted under these Directions and shall be governed by
these Directions from the date they come into effect.
5. These Directions have been issued by the Reserve Bank in exercise of the powers
conferred under section 45W of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and of all the powers
enabling it in this behalf.
�वत्तीय बाज़ार �व�नयमन �वभाग,केंद्र�य कायार्लय भवन, नौवीं मंिजल, शह�द भगत �सहं माग,र् फोटर्, मुंबई–400001.भारत
फोन: (91-22) 2260 1000, ई-मेल: cgmfmrd@rbi.org.in
Financial Markets Regulation Department, Central Office Building, 9th Floor, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort, Mumbai – 400001. India
Tel: (91-22) 2260 1000, e-mail- cgmfmrd@rbi.org.in
�हन्द� आसान है, इसका प्रयोग बढ़ाइए6. These Directions shall be applicable with immediate effect.
Yours faithfully,
(Dimple Bhandia)
Chief General Manager
2RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
FINANCIAL MARKETS REGULATION DEPARTMENT
9th FLOOR, CENTRAL OFFICE, FORT
MUMBAI 400 001
Notification No. FMRD.MIOD.05/11.01.041/2024-25 dated October 18, 2024
Reserve Bank of India (Access Criteria for NDS-OM) Directions, 2024
In exercise of the powers conferred under section 45W of the Reserve Bank of India Act,
1934 (hereinafter called the Act) read with section 45U of the Act, the Reserve Bank of
India (hereinafter called the Reserve Bank) hereby issues the following Directions to all
the persons eligible to participate or transact business in Government securities market in
India.
1. Short title, extent, commencement and application.
a) These Directions shall be called the Reserve Bank of India (Access Criteria for
NDS-OM) Directions, 2024.
b) These Directions shall come into force with effect from October 18, 2024.
2. Definitions:
In these Directions, unless the context otherwise requires:
a) “All India Financial Institution” shall mean Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM
Bank), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National
Housing Bank (NHB), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and
National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID);
b) “Bank” shall mean a banking company (including a Local Area Bank, a Payment
Bank and a Small Finance Bank) as defined in clause (c) of section 5 of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949 or a “regional rural bank”, a “corresponding new
bank” or “State Bank of India” as defined in clauses (ja), (da) and (nc), of section
5 respectively thereof, or a “cooperative bank” as defined in clause (cci) of section
5 read with section 56 of the said Act;
c) “Designated Settlement Bank (DSB)” shall mean a bank appointed by the
Clearing Corporation of India Limited for the settlement of fund obligations of
members of their securities settlement segment that are not maintaining a current
account with the Reserve Bank;
3d) “Direct Access” shall mean access to NDS-OM wherein an entity that is party to a
transaction directly executes/reports the transaction on/to the platform and such
transactions are settled in its own Subsidiary General Ledger (SGL) account;
e) “Electronic Trading Platform (ETP)” shall have the same meaning as assigned
to it in Section 2(1) (iii) of the Electronic Trading Platforms (Reserve Bank)
Directions, 2018 dated October 05, 2018, as modified from time to time;
f) “Government Security” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in Section
2(f) of the Government Securities Act, 2006;
g) “Indirect Access” shall mean access to NDS-OM wherein an entity undertakes its
transactions through another entity that has a direct access to NDS-OM and which
assumes responsibility for settlement of such transactions;
h) “Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching (NDS-OM)” shall mean the ETP
authorised by the Reserve Bank under the Electronic Trading Platforms (Reserve
Bank) Directions, 2018 dated October 05, 2018, for transactions in Government
securities;
i) “Non-Banking Financial Company” shall have the same meaning as assigned to
it in Section 45-I (f) of the Act.
Words and expressions used, but not defined in these Directions, shall have the
same meaning as assigned to them in the Act or under the Government Securities
Act, 2006.
Section – I: Access
3. Any person/entity eligible to invest in Government securities in terms of the applicable
rules/ guidelines issued by the Government of India / State Governments / the Reserve
Bank, as amended from time to time shall be eligible to access NDS-OM either through
direct access or through indirect access.
Section – II: Direct access to NDS-OM
4. Eligible Entities
The following entities shall be eligible for direct access to NDS-OM subject to fulfilment
of all requirements and conditions stipulated in these Directions:
a) Banks;
b) Standalone Primary Dealers;
4c) Non-Banking Financial Companies including Housing Finance Companies;
d) All India Financial Institutions;
e) Mutual Funds;
f) Provident Funds;
g) Pension Funds;
h) Insurance Companies;
i) Regulated Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) for investing their settlement
guarantee fund in Government securities, as the Reserve Bank may specifically
permit subject to such terms and conditions that it may prescribe; and
j) Any other entity that the Reserve Bank may specifically permit.
5. Requirements for seeking direct access to NDS-OM
Entities that are eligible to seek direct access to NDS-OM shall fulfil the following
requirements:
a) SGL account with the Reserve Bank;
b) Current account with the Reserve Bank or a Designated Settlement Bank; and
c) Membership of securities settlement segment of Clearing Corporation of India
Limited (CCIL).
6. Application for seeking direct access to NDS-OM
Entities eligible for direct access to NDS-OM in terms of paragraph (4) of these
Directions and meeting the requirements stipulated in paragraph (5) of these
Directions may seek direct access through an application in the format given
in Annex to the Chief General Manager, Financial Markets Regulation Department,
Reserve Bank of India, 9th Floor, Central Office Building, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg,
Mumbai – 400001. Such entities may, alternatively, seek direct access through the
procedure stipulated under the Master Directions on Access Criteria for Payment
Systems (Master Direction DPSS.CO.OD.No.1846/04.04.009/2016-17 dated January
17, 2017) as amended from time to time.
7. Grant of direct access to NDS-OM
a) The Reserve Bank may, after being satisfied that the applicant fulfils the eligibility
criteria, grant direct access to NDS-OM subject to the terms and conditions
stipulated therein.
b) While granting access the Reserve Bank may
5i. call for any additional information or seek any clarification from the applicant
which in its opinion is relevant and the applicant shall furnish such additional
information and clarification; and
ii. obtain any additional information / recommendation from regulators or
agencies or any other authority, which in its opinion is relevant for disposal
of the application.
c) Direct access to NDS-OM granted to an entity is not transferable and the Reserve
Bank may impose additional conditions if the entity is found to violate the
provisions of these Directions or any other rules or regulations or conditions of
access.
d) The Reserve Bank may suspend/terminate the direct access to NDS-OM issued
to an entity, after affording a reasonable opportunity to be heard, if it is satisfied
that:
i. the entity has ceased to be eligible for direct access to NDS-OM; or
ii. the entity has violated a statutory provision or any rule or regulation or
direction or order or instruction issued by the Reserve Bank; or
iii. the entity has committed a market abuse as defined under the Reserve
Bank of India (Prevention of Market Abuse) Directions, 2019 dated March
15, 2019, as amended from time to time; or
iv. the entity has violated any of the terms or conditions stipulated by the
Reserve Bank while granting access; or
v. the continuance of access is prejudicial to public interest or financial system
of the country.
e) The decision of the Reserve Bank, to grant or reject direct access to NDS-OM or
to terminate the direct access, would be final.
Section – III: Indirect access to NDS-OM
8. Any person/entity eligible to invest in Government securities may avail indirect access
to NDS-OM if:
a) it is not an entity eligible for direct access to NDS-OM in terms of paragraph 4 of
these Directions; or
b) it does not satisfy the requirements to seek direct access to NDS-OM in terms of
paragraph 5 of these Directions; or
6c) it is not granted direct access to NDS-OM.
9. Indirect access to NDS-OM shall be through an entity which has a direct access to
NDS-OM, and which agrees to assume responsibility to settle the transactions
undertaken by the entity seeking indirect access.
10. Any entity that is permitted to maintain both a SGL and a constituent account in terms
of the SGL Account: Eligibility Criteria and Operational Guidelines (Notification no.
IDMD.CDD.S788/11.22.001/2021-22 dated September 22, 2021), as amended from
time to time, may at its discretion, choose to avail indirect access to NDS-OM, instead
of direct access.
(Dimple Bhandia)
Chief General Manager
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