INTRODUCTION Indian markets have recently thrown open a new avenue for retail investors and traders to participate

commodity derivatives. For those who want to diversify their portfolios beyond shares, bonds and real estate, commodities are the best option.Till some months ago, this wouldnt have made sense. For retail investors could have done very little to actually invest in commodities such as gold and silver or oilseeds in the futures market. This was nearly impossible in commodities except for gold and silver as there was practically no retail avenue for pumping in commodities. However, with the setting up of three multi-commodity exchanges in the country, retail investors can now trade in commodity futures without having physical stocks. Commodities actually offer immense potential to become a separate asset class for market-savvy investors, arbitrageurs and speculators. Retail investors, who claim to understand the equity markets, may find commodities an unfathomable market. But commodities are easy to understand as far as fundamentals of demand and supply are concerned. Retail should understand the risk advantages of trading in commodities futures before taking a leap. Historically, pricing in commodities futures has been less volatile compared with equity and bonds, thus providing an efficient portfolio diversification option. In fact, the size of the commodities markets in India is also quite significant. Of the countrys GDP of Rs.13,20,730 crore ( Rs.13,207.3 billion) commodities related (and dependent) industries constitute about 58 per cent. Currently, the various commodities across the country clock an annual turnover of Rs.1,40,000 crore ( Rs.1,400 billion). With the introduction of futures trading, the sizes of the commodities market grow many folds here on. DEFINITION OF COMMODITIES Any product that can be used for commerce or an article of commerce which is traded on an authorized commodity exchange is known as commodity. The article should be movable of value, something which is bought or sold and which is produced or used as the subject or barter or sale. In short commodity includes all kinds of goods. Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 1952 defines goods as every kind of movable property other than actionable claims,money and securities. In current situation, all goods and products of agricultural (including plantation), mineral and fossil origin are allowed for commodity trading recognized under the FCRA. The national commodity exchanges, recognized by the Central Government, permits commodities which include precious (gold and silver) and non-ferrous metals: cereals and pulses; ginned and un-ginned cotton; oilseeds, oils and oilcakes; raw jute and jute goods; sugar and gur;potatoes and

onions; coffee and tea; rubber and spices. Etc.In the world of business, a commodity is an undifferentiated product whose market value arises from the owners right to sell rather than to use. Example commodities from the financial world include oil (sold by the barrel), wheat, bulk chemicals such as sulfuric acid and even pork bellies. NEED OF COMMODITY MARKET IN INDIA Achieving hedging efficiency is the main reason to opt for futures contracts. For instance, in February, 2007, India had to pay $ 52 per barrel more for importing oil than what they had to pay a week ago. The utility of a futures contact for hedging or risk management presupposes parallel or near-parallel relationship between the spot and futures prices over time. In other words, the efficiency of a futures contract for hedging essentially envisages that the prices in the physical and futures markets move in close unison not only in the same direction, but also by almost the same magnitude, so that losses in one market are offset by gains in the other. Of course, such a price relationship between the spot and futures markets is subject to the amount of carrying or storage costs till the maturity month of the futures contract. Theoretically ( and ideally), in a perfectly competitive market with surplus supplies and abundant stocks round the year, the futures price will exceed the spot price by the cost of storage till the maturity of the futures contract. But such storage cost declines as the contract approaches maturity, thereby reducing the premium or contango commanded by the futures contract over the spot delivery over its life and eventually becomes zero during the delivery month when the spot and futures prices virtually converge. The efficiency of a futures contract for hedging depends on the prevalence of such an ideal price relationship between the spot and futures markets.

COMMODITIES EXCHANGES A brief description of commodity exchanges are those which trade in particular commodities, neglecting the trade of securities, stock index futures and options etc.,In the middle of 19th century in the United States, businessmen began organizing market forums to make the buying

and selling of commodities easier. These central market places provided a place for buyers and sellers to meet, set quality and quantity standards, and establish rules of business. Agricultural commodities were mostly traded but as long as there are buyers and sellers, any commodity can be traded.The major commodity markets are in the United Kingdom and in the USA. In India there are 25 recognized future exchanges, of which there are three national level multi-commodity exchanges. After a gap of almost three decades, Government of India has allowed forward transactions in commodities through Online Commodity Exchanges, a modification of traditional business known as Adhat and Vayda Vyapar to facilitate better risk coverage and delivery of commodities. THE THREE EXCHANGES ARE National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited ( NCDEX) Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited ( MCX) National Multi-Commodity Exchange of India Limited ( NMCEIL) All the exchanges have been set up under overall control of Forward Market Commission (FMC) of Government of India. National Commodity & Derivatives Exchanges Limited ( NCDEX) National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) is an online multi commodity exchange based in india. It was incorporated as a private limited company incorporated on 23 April 2003 under the Companies Act, 1956. It obtained its Certificate for Commencement of Business on 9 May 2003. It has commenced its operations on 15 December 2003. NCDEX is a closely held private company which is promoted by national level institutions and has an independent Board of Directors and professionals not having vested interest in commodity markets. NCDEX is a public limited company incorporated on 23 April 2003 under the Companies Act, 1956. NCDEX is regulated by forward market commission (FMC) in respect of futures trading in commodities. Besides, NCDEX is subjected to various laws of the land like the Companies Act, Stamp Act, Contracts Act, Forward Commission (Regulation) Act and various other legislations, which impinge on its working. On 3 February 2006, the FMC found NCDEX guilty of violating settlement price norms and ordered the exchange to fire one of their executive. NCDEX is located in Mumbai and offers facilities in more than 550 centres in India. NCDEX also offers as an information product, an agricultural commodity index. This is a value weighted index,called DHAANYA and is computed in real time using the prices of the 10 most liquid commodity futures traded on the NCDEX platform. Dhaanya aims to provide a reliable benchmark for the traded Agri-commodities in India. Many investors doesn't understand how

NCDEX futures work. For the informed buyer, the commodity futures market is a good way to buy quality products at wholesale prices. MULTI COMMODITY EXCHANGE Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) is an independent commodity exchange based in india.It was established in 2003 and is based in Mumbai.The turnover of the exchange for the fiscal year 2009 was US$ 1.24 trillion, and in terms of contracts traded, it was in 2009 the world's sixth largest commodity exchange. MCX offers futures trading in bullion, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, energy, and a number of agricultural commodities (mentha oil, cardamom, potatoes, palm oil and others).In 2012, MCX has taken the third spot among the global commodity bourses in terms of the number of future conracts traded. Based on the latest data from futures industry association (FIA), during the period between January and June this year, about 127.8 million futures contracts were traded on MCX .MCX has also set up in joint venture the MCX Stock Exchange. Earlier spin-offs from the company include the National Spot Exchange, an electronic spot exchange for bullion and agricultural commodities, and National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC) India's largest collateral management company which provides bulk storage and handling of agricultural products. In February 2012, MCX has come out with a public issue of 6,427,378 Equity Shares of Rs. 10 face value in price band of 860 1032 Rs. per equity share to raise around $134 million. It is the first ever IPO by an Indian exchange.It is regulated by the Forward Markets Commission.MCX is India's No. 1 commodity exchange with 83% market share in 2009.The exchange's main competitor is National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Ltd .Globally, MCX ranks no. 1 in silver, no. 2 in natural gas, no. 3 in crude oil and gold in futures trading (But actual volume is far behind CME group volume as Silver is traded in 30 kg lots on MCX whereas CME traded in Approx 155 kg Lot size same in Gold 1 kg : 3. kg Approx and Crude 100 Barrels : 1000 Barrels on CME) and major volume in manuplated as there in no strict regulation in Indian markets just to Excalate the prices of Shares of company. Also the major volume comes from Arbitration Of CME and MCX which is also not legal to do. The highest traded item is gold.MCX has several strategic alliances with leading exchanges across the globe As of early 2010, the normal daily turnover of MCX was about US$ 6 to 8 billionMCX now reaches out to about 800 cities and towns in India with the help of about 126,000 trading terminals MCX COMDEX is India's first and only composite commodity futures price index. National Multi-Commodity Exchange The NMCE is India's third-largest commodities exchange behind the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) and the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) and has grown significantly as commodity trading in India has rebounded from the 2008 financial crisis. NMCE is India's top lister of coffee and rubber contracts and seeks to broaden into the currency

derivatives and spot markets. The National Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. (NMCE) was conceived and promoted in 1999 by a group of Indian commodity-based corporations and public agencies, and listed its first contracts on 24 commdities in November 2002.[1] As of October 2009, the NMCE now lists futures contracts on a total of 44 different commodities, ranging copra to menthol, and boasts over 300 trading members. NMCE is currently India's third-largest commodity and derivatives exchange as measured by average daily turnover, behind market dominator MCX and close rival NCDEX. However, NMCE recorded a spectacular year-on-year leap in trading for the first half of 2009 of over 500%, according to India's Economic Times, to 12.8 billion Indian rupees compared to rival NCDEX's more modest 30% increase to 26.3 billion rupees.[2] Market leader MCX recorded 29% growth over the same period to hit average daily turnover of 185.3 billion rupees. Continued recent growth in India's commodity trading means the NMCE's market will soon be joined by a fourth new exchange competitor, currently named the Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX)

COMMODITY TRADING
COMMODITY MARKET TRADING MECHANISM

Every market transaction consists of three components trading, clearing and settlement. TRADING The trading system on the Commodities exchange provides a fully automated screen-based trading for futures on commodities on a nationwide basis as well as an online monitoring and surveillance mechanism. It supports an order driven market and provides complete transparency of trading operations. After hours trading has also been proposed for implementation at a later stage. The NCDEX system supports an order driven market, where orders match automatically. Order matching is essentially on the basis of commodity, its price, time and quantity. All quantity fields are in units and price in rupees. The exchange specifies the unit of trading and the delivery unit for futures contracts on various commodities. The exchange notifies the regular lot size and tick size for each of the contracts traded from time to time. When any order enters the trading system, it is an active order. It tries to find a match on the other side of the book. If it finds a match, a trade is generated. If it does not find a match, the order becomes passive and gets queued in the respective outstanding order book in the system, Time stamping is done for each trade and provides the possibility for a complete audit trail if required. SETTLEMENT

Futures contracts have two types of settlements, the MTM settlement which happens on a continuous basis at the end of each day, and the final settlement which happens on the last trading day of the futures contract. On the NCDEX, daily MTM settlement and final MTM settlement in respect of admitted deal in futures contracts are cash settled by debiting/crediting the clearing accounts of CMs with the respective clearing bank. All positions of a CM, brought forward, created during the day or closed out during the day, are marked to market at the daily settlement price or the final settlement price at the close of trading hours on a day. Daily settlement price: Daily settlement price is the consensus closing price as arrived after closing session of the relevant futures contract for the trading day. However, in the absence of trading for a contract during closing sessions, daily settlement price is computed as per the methods prescribed by the exchange from time to time. Final settlement price: Final settlement price is the closest price of the underlying commodity on the last trading day of the futures contract. All open positions in a futures contract cease to exist after its expiration day. Settlement mechanism: Settlement of commodity futures contracts is a little different from settlement of financial futures, which are mostly cash settled. The possibility of physical settlement makes the process a little more complicated. Daily mark to market settlement is done till the date of the contract expiry. This is done to take care of daily price fluctuations for all trades. All the open positions of the members are marked to market at the end of the day and profit/loss is determined as below: On the day of entering into the contract, it is the difference between the entry value and daily settlement price for that day. On any intervening days, when the member holds an open position, it is the different between the daily settlement price for that day and the previous days settlement price. Final settlement

On the date of expiry, the final settlement price is the spot price on the expiry day. The spot prices are collected from members across the country through polling. The polled bid/ask prices are bootstrapped and the mid of the two bootstrapped prices is taken as the final settlement price. The responsibility of settlement is on a trading cum clearing member for all trades done on his own account and his clients trades. A professional clearing member is responsible for settling all the participants trades, which he has confirmed to the exchange.

On the expiry date of a futures contract, members are required to submit delivery information through delivery request window on the trader workstations provided by NCDEX for all open positions for a commodity for all constituents individually. NCDEX on receipt of such information matches the information and arrives at a delivery position for a member for a commodity. A detailed report containing all matched and unmatched requests is provided to members through the extranet.

Pursuant to regulations relating to submission of delivery information, failure to submit delivery information for open positions attracts penal charges as stipulated by NCDEX from time to time. NCDEX also adds all such open positions for a member, for which no delivery information is submitted with final settlement obligations of the member concerned and settled in cash.

Non-fulfillment of either the whole or part of the settlement obligations is treated as a violation of the rules, bye-laws and regulations of NCDEX, and attracts penal charges as stipulated by NCDE from time to time. In addition NCDEX can withdraw any or all of the membership rights of clearing member including the withdrawal of trading facilities of all trading members clearing through such clearing members, without any notice. Further, the outstanding positions of such clearing member and/or trading members and/or constituents, clearing and settling through such clearing member, may be closed out forthwith or any thereafter by the exchange to the extent possible, by placing at the exchange, counter orders in respect of the outstanding position of clearing member without any notice to the clearing member and / or trading member and / or constituent. NCDEX can also initiate such other risk containment measures, as it deems appropriate with respect to the open positions of the clearing members. It can also take additional measures like imposing penalties, collecting appropriate deposits, invoking bank guarantees or fixed deposit receipts, realizing money by disposing off the securities and exercising such other risk containment measures as it deems fit or take further disciplinary action. CLEARING As mentioned earlier, National Securities Clearing Corporation Limited (NSCCL) undertakes clearing of trades executed on the NCDEX, All deals executed on the Exchange are cleared and settled by the trading members on the settlement date by the trading members themselves as clearing members or through other professional clearing members in accordance with these regulations/bye laws and rules of the exchange. PARTICIPANTS IN COMMODITY MARKET For a market to succeed/ it must have all three kinds of participants hedgers, speculators and arbitragers. The confluence of these participants ensures liquidity and efficient price discovery on the market. Commodity markets give opportunity for all three kinds of participants.

Hedging Many participants in the commodity futures market are hedgers. The use the futures market to reduce a particular risk that they face. This risk might relate to the price of wheat or oil or any other commodity that the person deals in. The classic hedging example is that of wheat farmer who wants to hedge the risk of fluctuations in the price of wheat around the time that his crop is ready for harvesting. By selling his crop forward, he obtains a hedge by locking in to a predetermined price. Hedging does not necessarily improve the financial outcome; indeed, it could make the outcome worse. What it does however is that it makes the outcome more certain. Hedgers could be government institutions, private corporations like financial institutions, trading companies and even other participants in the value chain, for instance farmers, extractors, ginners, processors etc., who are influenced by the commodity prices. Hedge Ratio Hedge ratio is the ratio of the size of position taken in the futures contracts to the size of the exposure in the underlying asset. So far in the examples we used, we assumed that the hedger would take exactly the same amount of exposure in there futures contract as in the underlying asset. For example, if the hedgers exposure in the underlying was to the extent of 11 bales of cotton, the futures contracts entered into were exactly for this amount of cotton. We were assuming here that the optimal hedge ratio is one. In situations where the underlying asset in which the hedger has an exposure is exactly the same as the asset underlying the futures contract he uses, and the spot and futures market are perfectly correlated, a hedge ratio of one could be assumed. In all other cases, a hedge ratio of one may not be optimal.

Speculation An entity having an opinion on the price movements of a given commodity can speculate using the commodity market. While the basics of speculation apply to any market, speculating in commodities is not as simple as speculating on stocks in the financial market. For a speculator who thinks the shares of a given company will rise. It is easy to buy the shares and hold them for whatever duration he wants to. However, commodities are bulky products and come with all the costs and procedures of handling these products. The commodities futures markets provide speculators with an easy mechanism to speculate on the price of underlying commodities. To trade commodity futures on the NCDEX, a customer must open a futures trading account with a commodity derivatives broker. Buying futures simply involves putting in the margin money. This enables futures traders to take a position in the underlying commodity without having to actually hold that commodity. With the purchase of futures contract on a commodity, the holder essentially makes a legally binding promise or obligation to buy the underlying security at some point in the future (the expiration date of the contract). We look here at how the commodity futures markets can be used for speculation.

Today a speculator can take exactly the same position on gold by using gold futures contracts. Let us see how this works. Gold trades at Rs.6000 per 10 gms and three-months gold futures trades at Rs.6150. Tables 7.3 gives the contract specifications for gold futures. The unit of trading is 100 gms and the delivery unit for the gold futures contract on the NCDEX is 1 kg. He buys one kg of gold futures which have a value of Rs.6,15,000. Buying an asset in the futures markets only require making margin payments. To take this position, he pays a margin of Rs.1,20,000. Three months later gold trades at Rs.6400 per10 gms. As we know, on the day of expiration, the futures price converges to the spot Price (else there would be a risk-free arbitrage opportunity). He closes his long futures position at Rs.64,000 in the process making a profit of Rs.25,000 on an initial margin investment of Rs.1,20,000. This works out to an annual return of 83percent. Because of the leverage they provide, commodity futures form an attractive tool for speculators. Speculation: Bearish Commodity, Sell Futures: This can also be used by a speculator who believes that there is likely to be excess supply of a particular commodity in the near future and hence the prices are likely to see a fall. How can he trade based on this opinion? In the absence of a deferral product, there wasnt much he could do to profit from his opinion. Today all he needs to do is sell commodity futures. Let us understand how this works. Simple arbitrage ensures that the price of a futures contract on a commodity moves correspondingly with the price of the underlying commodity. If the commodity price rises, so will the futures price. If the commodity price falls/so will the futures price. Now take the case of the trader who expects to see a fall in the price of cotton. He sells ten two-months cotton futures contract which is for delivery of 550 bales of cotton. The value of the contract is Rs.4,00,000. He pays a small margin on the same. Three months later. If his hunch were correct the price of cotton falls. So does the price of cotton futures. He close out his short futures position at Rs.3,50,000, making a profit of Rs.50,000. Arbitrage A central idea in modern economics is the law of one price. This states that in a competitive market, if two assets are equivalent from the point of view of risk and return, they should sell at the same price. If the price of the same asset is different in two markets, there will be operators who will buy in the market where the asset sells cheap and sell in the market where it is costly. This activity termed as arbitrage, involves the simultaneous purchase and sale of the same or essentially similar security in two different markets for advantageously different prices. The buying cheap and swelling expensive continues till prices in the two markets reach equilibrium. Hence, arbitrage helps to equalize prices and restore market efficiency.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR COMMODITY TRADING IN INDIA

At present there are three tiers of regulations of forward/futures trading system in India, namely, government of India, Forward Markets Commission(FMC) and commodity exchanges.

The need for regulation arises on account of the fact that the benefits of futures markets accrue in competitive conditions. Proper regulation is needed to create competitive conditions. In the absence of regulation, unscrupulous participants could use these leveraged contracts for manipulating prices. This could have undesirable influence on the spot prices, thereby affecting interests of society at large. Regulation is also needed to ensure that the market has appropriate risk management system. In the absence of such a system, a major default could create a chain reaction. The resultant financial crisis in a futures market could create systematic risk. Regulation is also needed to ensure fairness and transparency in trading, clearing, settlement and management of the exchange so as to protect and promote the interest of various stakeholders, particularly non-member users of the market. RULES GOVERNING COMMODITY DERIVATIVES EXCHANGES The trading of commodity derivatives on the NCDEX is regulated by Forward Markets Commission (FMC). Under the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952, forward trading in commodities notified under section 15 of the Act can be conducted only on the exchanges, which are granted recognition by the central government (Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution). All the exchanges, which deal with forward contracts, are required to obtain certificate of registration from the FMC Besides, they are subjected to various laws of the land like the Companies Act, Stamp Act, Contracts Act, Forward Commission (Regulation) Act and various other legislations, which impinge on their working. Forward Markets Commission provides regulatory oversight in order to ensure financial integrity (i.e. to prevent systematic risk of default by one major operator or group of operators), market integrity (i.e. to ensure that futures prices are truly aligned with the prospective demand and supply conditions) and to protect and promote interest of customers/ nonmembers. It prescribes the following regulatory measures: Limit on net open position as on close of the trading houses. Some times limit is also imposed on intra-day net open position. The limit is imposed operator-wise/ and in some cases, also member wise. Circuit filters or limit on price fluctuations to allow cooling of market in the event of abrupt upswing or downswing in prices. Special margin deposit to be collected on outstanding purchases or sales when price moves up or down sharply above or below the previous day closing price. By making further purchases/sales relatively costly, the price rise or fall is sobered down. This measure is imposed only on the request of the exchange. Circuit breakers or minimum/maximum prices. These are prescribed to prevent futures prices from failing below as rising above not warranted by prospective supply and demand factors. This measure is also imposed on the request of the exchange. Skipping trading in certain derivatives of the contract closing the market for a specified period and even closing out the contract. These extreme are taken only in emergency situations.

Besides these regulatory measures, the F.C)R) Act provides that a clients position cannot be appropriated by the member of the exchange, except when a written consent is taken within three days time. The FMC is persuading increasing number of exchanges to switch over to electronic trading, clearing and settlement which is more customer/friendly. The FMC has also prescribed simultaneous reporting system for the exchanges following open out cry system. These steps facilitate audit trail and make it difficult for the members to indulge in malpractice like trading ahead of clients, etc. The FMC has also mandated all the exchanges following open outcry system to display at a prominent place in exchange premises, the name, address, telephone number of the officer of the commission who can be contacted for any grievance. The website of the commission also has a provision for the customers to make complaint and send comments and suggestions to the FMC. Officers of the FMC have been instructed to meet the members and clients on a random basis, whenever they visit exchanges, to ascertain the situation on the ground, instead of merely attending meetings of the board of directors and holding discussions with the office bearers. TRADING DAYS The exchange operates on all days except Saturday and Sunday and on holidays that it declares from time to time. Other than the regular trading hours, trading members are provided a facility to place orders offline i.e. outside trading hours. These are stored by the system but get traded only once the market opens for trading on the following working day. The types of order books, trade books, price limits, matching rules and other parameters pertaining to each or all of these sessions is specified by the exchange to the members via its circulars or notices issued from time to time. Members can place orders on the trading system during these sessions, within the regulations prescribed by the exchange as per these bye laws, rules and regulations, from time to time.

Trading hours and trading cycle The exchange announces the normal trading hours/open period in advance from time to time. In case necessary, the exchange can extend or reduce the trading hours by notifying the members. Trading cycle for each commodity/derivative contract has a standard period, during which it will be available for trading. Contract expiration Derivatives contracts expire on a pre-determined date and time up to which the contract is available for trading. This is notified by the exchange in advance. The contract expiration period will not exceed twelve months or as the exchange may specify from time to time.

Trading parameters The exchange from time to time specifies various trading parameters relating to the trading system. Every trading member is required to specify the buy or sell orders as either an open order or a close order for derivatives contracts. The exchange also prescribes different order books that shall be maintained on the trading system and also specifies various conditions on the order that will make it eligible to place it in those books. The exchange specifies the minimum disclosed quantity for orders that will be allowed for each commodity/derivatives contract. It also prescribed the number of days after which Good Till Cancelled orders will be cancelled by the system. It specifies parameters like lot size in which orders can be placed, price steps in which shall be entered on the trading system, position limits in respect of each commodity etc. Failure of trading member terminal In the event of failure of trading members workstation and/ or the loss of access to the trading system, the exchange can at its discretion undertake to carry out on behalf of the trading member the necessary functions which the trading member is eligible for. Only requests made in writing in a clear and precise manner by the trading member would be considered. The trading member is accountable for the functions executed by the exchange on its behalf and has to indemnity the exchange against any losses or costs incurred by the exchange. Trade operations Trading members have to ensure that appropriate confirmed order instructions are obtained from the constituents before placement of an order on the system. They have to keep relevant records or documents concerning the order and trading system order number and copies of the order confirmation slip/modification slip must be made available to the constituents. The trading member has to disclose to the exchange at the time of order entry whether the order is on his own account or on behalf of constituents and also specify orders for buy or sell as open or close orders. Trading members are solely responsible for the accuracy of details of orders entered into the trading system including orders entered on behalf of their constituents. Traders generated on the system are irrevocable and blocked in 1. The exchange specifies from time to time the market types and the manner if any, in which trade cancellation can be effected. Where a trade cancellation is permitted and trading member wishes to cancel a trade, it can be done only with the approval of the exchange. Margin requirements Subject to the provisions as contained in the exchange bye-laws and such other regulations as may be in force, every clearing member/in respect of the trades in which he is party to, has to deposit a margin with exchange authorities. The exchange prescribes from time to time the commodities/derivatives contracts, the settlement periods and trade types for which margin would be attracted. The exchange levies initial margin on derivatives contracts using the concept of Value at Risk (VaR) or any other concept as the exchange may decide from time to time. The margin is

charged so as to cover one-day loss that can be countered on the position on 99% of the days. Additional margins may be levied for deliverable positions, on the basis of VaR from the expiry of the contract till the actual settlement date plus a mark-up for default. The margin has to be deposited with the exchange within the time notified by the exchange. The exchange also prescribes categories of securities that would be eligible for a margin deposit, as well as the method of valuation and amount of securities that would be required to be deposited against the margin amount. The procedure for refund/adjustment of margins is also specified by the exchange from time to time. The exchange can impose upon any particular trading member or category of trading member any special or other margin requirement. On failure to deposit margin/s as required under this clause, the exchange/clearing house can withdraw the trading facility of the trading member. After the pay-out, the clearing house releases all margins. Unfair trading practices No trading member should buy, sell, deal in derivatives contracts in a fraudulent manner, or indulge in any unfair trade practices including market manipulation. This includes the following; if Effect, take part either directly or indirectly in transactions, which are likely to have effect of artificially, raising or depressing the prices of spot/derivatives contracts. Indulge in any act, which is calculated to create a false or misleading appearance of trading, resulting in reflection of prices, which are not genuine. Buy, sell commodities/contract on his own behalf or on behalf of a person associated with him pending the execution of the order of his constituent or of his company or director for the same contract. Delay the transfer of commodities in the name of the transferee. Indulge in falsification of his books, accounts and records for the purpose of market manipulation. When acting as an agent, execute a transaction with a constituent at a price other than the price at which it was executed on the exchange. Either take opposite position to an order of a constituent or execute opposite orders which he is holding in respect of two constituents except in the manner laid down by the exchange. LAST DAY OF TRADING Last trading day for a derivative contract in any commodity is the date as specified in the respective commodity contract. If the last trading day as specified in the respective commodity contract is a holiday, the last trading day is taken to be the previous working day of exchange. On the expiry date of contracts, the trading members/ clearing members have to give delivery information as prescribed by the exchange from time to time. If a trading member/clearing member fails to submit such information during the trading hours on the expiry date for the contract/the deals have to be settled as per the settlement calendar applicable for such deals, in cash-together with penalty as stipulated by the exchange deals entered into through the exchange. The clearing member cannot operate the clearing account for any other purpose

GOLD
INTRODUCTION Gold is a unique asset based on few basic characteristics. First, it is primarily a monetary asset, and partly a commodity. As much as two thirds of golds total accumulated holdings relate to store of value considerations. Holdings in this category include the central bank reserves, private investments, and high-cartage jewelry bought primarily in developing countries as a vehicle for savings. Thus, gold is primarily a monetary asset. Less than one third of golds total accumulated holdings can be considered a commodity, the jewelry bought in Western markets for adornment, and gold used in industry. The distinction between gold and commodities is important. Gold has maintained its value in after-inflation terms over the long run, while commodities have declined. Some analysts like to think of gold as a currency without a country. It is an internationally recognized asset that is not dependent upon any governments promise to pay. This is an important feature when comparing gold to conventional diversifiers like T-bills or bonds, which unlike gold, do have counter-party risk.Gold is a monetary metal whose price is determined by inflation, by fluctuations in the dollar and U.S. stocks, by currency-related crises, interest rate volatility and international tensions, and by increases or decreases in the prices of other commodities. The price of gold reacts to supply and demand changes and can be influenced by consumer spending and overall levels of affluence. Gold is different from other precious metals such as platinum, palladium and silver because the demand for these precious metals arises principally from their industrial applications. Gold is produced primarily for accumulation; other commodities are produced primarily for consumption. Gold s value does not arise from its usefulness in industrial or consumable applications. It arises from its use and worldwide acceptance as a store of value. Gold is money. WHAT MAKES GOLD SPECIAL? Timeless and Very Timely Investment: For thousands of years, gold has been prized for its rarity, its beauty, and above all, for its unique characteristics as a store of value. Nations may rise and fall, currencies come and go, but gold endures. In todays uncertain climate, many investors turn to gold because it is an important and secure asset that can be tapped at any time, under virtually any circumstances. But there is another side to gold that is equally important, and that is its dayto-day performance as a stabilizing influence for investment portfolios. These advantages are currently attracting considerable attention from financial professionals and sophisticated investors worldwide. Gold is an effective diversifier: Diversification helps protect your portfolio against fluctuations in the value of any one-asset class. Gold is an ideal diversifier, because the economic forces that determine the price of

gold are different from, and in many cases opposed to, the forces that influence most financial assets. Gold is the ideal gift: In many cultures, gold serves as a family treasure or a wealth transfer vehicle that is passed on from generation to generation. Gold bullion coins make excellent gifts for birthdays, graduations, weddings, holidays and other occasions. They are appreciated as much for their intrinsic value as for their mystical appeal and beauty. And because gold is available in a wide range of sizes and denominations, you dont need to be wealthy to g ive the gift of gold. Gold is highly liquid: Gold can be readily bought or sold 24 hours a day, in large denominations and at narrow spreads. This cannot be said of most other investments, including stocks of the worlds largest corporations. Gold is also more liquid than many alternative assets such as venture capital, real estate, and timberland. Gold proved to be the most effective means of raising cash during the 1987 stock market crash, and again during the 1997/98 Asian debt crisis. So holding a portion of your portfolio in gold can be invaluable in moments when cash is essential, whether for margin calls or other needs. Gold responds when you need it most: Recent independent studies have revealed that traditional diversifiers often fall during times of market stress or instability. On these occasions, most asset classes (including traditional diversifiers such as bonds and alternative assets) all move together in the same direction. There is no cushioning effect of a diversified portfolio leaving investors disappointed. However, a small allocation of gold has been proven to significantly improve the consistency of portfolio performance, during both stable and unstable financial periods. Greater consistency of performance leads to a desirable outcome an investor whose expectations are met. THE REASON WHY INVESTORS OWN GOLD There are six primary reasons why investors own gold: They may never be more relevant than they are today. 1. As a hedge against inflation. 2. As a hedge against a declining dollar. 3. As a safe haven in times of geopolitical and financial market instability. 4. As a commodity, based on golds supply and demand fundamentals. 5. As a store of value.

6. As a portfolio diversifier.

HEDGE AGAINST INFLATION Gold is renowned as a hedge against inflation. The most consistent factor determining the price of gold has been inflation - as inflation goes up, the price of gold goes up along with it. Since the end of World War II, the five years in which U.S. inflation was at its highest were 1946, 1974, 1975, 1979, and 1980. During those five years, the average real return on stocks, as measured by the Dow, was -12.33%; the average real return on gold was 130.4%. Today, a number of factors are conspiring to create the perfect inflationary storm: extremely simulative monetary policy, a major tax cut, a long term decline in the dollar, a spike in oil prices, a huge trade deficit, and Americas status as the worlds biggest debtor nation. Almost across the board, commodity prices are up despite the short-term absence of a weakening dollar which is often viewed as the principal reason for stronger commodity prices. Oil, Inflation and Gold Although the prices of gold and oil don't exactly mirror one another, there is no question that oil prices do affect gold prices. If oil prices rise or fall sharply, investors can expect a corresponding reaction in gold prices, often with a lag. There have been two major upward moves in the price of gold since it was freed to float in 1968. The first occurred between 1972 and 1974 when oil prices climbed 325%, from $2.44 to $10.36. During the same period, gold prices rose 268% (on a quarterly average basis) from $47.45 to $174.76. The second major price move occurred between 1978 and 1980, when oil prices increased 105%, from $12.70 to $26.00. Over the same period, quarterly average gold prices rose 254% from $178.33 to $631.40. GOLD - HEDGE AGAINST A DECLINING DOLLAR Gold is bought and sold in U.S. dollars, so any decline in the value of the dollar causes the price of gold to rise. The U.S. dollar is the world's reserve currency - the primary medium for international transactions, the principal store of value for savings, the currency in which the worth of commodities and equities are calculated, and the currency primarily held as reserves by the world's central banks. However, now that it has been stripped of its gold backing, the dollar is nothing more than a fancy piece of paper. GOLD AS A SAFE HAVEN Despite the fact that the United States is the worlds only remaining superpower, there are many problems festering around the world, any one of which could explode with little warning. Gold has often been called the "crisis commodity" because it tends to outperform

other investments during periods of world tensions. The very same factors that cause other investments to suffer cause the price of gold to rise. A bad economy can sink poorly run banks. Bad banks can sink an entire economy. And, perhaps most importantly to the rest of the world, the integration of the global economy has made it possible for banking and economic failures to destabilize the world economy. As banking crises occur, the public begins to distrust paper assets and turns to gold for a safe haven. When all else fails, governments rescue themselves with the printing press, making their currency worth less and gold worth more. Gold has always risen the most when confidence in government is at its lowest.

GOLD - SUPPLY AND DEMAND First, demand is outpacing supply across the board. Gold production is declining; copper production is declining; the production of lead and other metals is declining. It is very difficult to open new mines when the whole process takes about seven years on average, making it hard to address the supply issue quickly. Gold output in South Africa, the world's largest gold producer, fell to its lowest level since 1931 this past year as the rand's gains prompted Harmony Gold Mining Co. and rivals to close mines despite 16 year highs in the gold price. Growing Demand - China, India and Gold India is the largest gold-consuming nation in the world. China, on the other hand, has the fastest-growing economy in modern history. Both India and China are in the process of liberalizing laws relating to the import and sale of gold in ways that will facilitate gold purchases on a huge scale. China is teaching the West something new. Its economy, growing at 9 percent per year, is expected to become the second largest in the world by 2020, behind only the United States. Last year Americans spent $162 billion more on Chinese goods than the Chinese spent on U.S. products. That gap has been growing by more than 25 percent per year. China's consumer class, meanwhile, is spending on everything from bagels to Bentleys and will soon outnumber the entire U.S. population. China's explosive growth "could be the dominant event of this century," says Stapleton Roy, former U.S. ambassador to China. "Never before has a country risen as fast as China is doing." China recently passed legislation that will allow the country's four major commercial banks to sell gold bars to their customers in the near future. Currently, individuals in China are only allowed to buy gold-backed certificates from the Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

GOLD STORE OF VALUE One major reason investors look to gold as an asset class is because it will always maintain an intrinsic value. Gold will not get lost in an accounting scandal or a market collapse.

Economist Stephen Harmston of Bannock Consulting had this to say in a 1998 report for the World Gold Council, although the gold price may fluctuate, over the very long run gold has consistently reverted to its historic purchasing power parity against other commodities and intermediate products. Historically, gold has proved to be an effective preserver of wealth. It has also proved to be a safe haven in times of economic and social instability. In a period of a long bull run in equities, with low inflation and relative stability in foreign exchange markets, it is tempting for investors to expect continual high rates of return on investments. It sometimes takes a period of falling stock prices and market turmoil to focus the mind on the fact that it may be important to invest part of ones portfolio in an asset that will, at least, hold its value. Today is the scenario that the World Gold Council report was referring to in 1998. GOLD - PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFIER The most effective way to diversify your portfolio and protect the wealth created in the stock and financial markets is to invest in assets that are negatively correlated with those markets. Gold is the ideal diversifier for a stock portfolio, simply because it is among the most negatively correlated assets to stocks. Investment advisors recognize that diversification of investments can improve overall portfolio performance. The key to diversification is finding investments that are not closely correlated to one another. Because most stocks are relatively closely correlated and most bonds are relatively closely correlated with each other and with stocks, many investors combine tangible assets such as gold with their stock and bond portfolios in order to reduce risk. Gold and other tangible assets have historically had a very low correlation to stocks and bonds. Although the price of gold can be volatile in the short-term, gold has maintained its value over the long-term, serving as a hedge against the erosion of the purchasing power of paper money. Gold is an important part of a diversified investment portfolio because its price increases in response to events that erode the value of traditional paper investments like stocks and bonds.

TRADING PARAMETERS FOR GOLD IN COMMODITY EXCHANGE MARKET Authority Trading of Gold futures may be conducted under such terms and conditions as specified in the Rules, Byelaws & Regulations and directions of the Exchange issued from time to time. Unit of Trading The unit of trading of Gold shall be 1 Kg and 100gm mini lot. Bids and offers may be accepted in lots of Gold shall be 1 Kg or multiples thereof. Months Traded In Trading in Gold futures may be conducted in the months as specified by the Exchange from time to time. Tick Size The tick size of the price of Gold shall be Re. 1.00. Basis Price The basis price of Gold shall be Ex-Mumbai inclusive of Customs Duty and Octroi, excluding Sales Tax. Unit for Price Quotation The unit of price quotation for Gold shall be in Rupees per 10 gms of Gold with 995 Fineness. Hours of Trading The hours of trading for futures in Gold shall be as follows: Mondays through Fridays 10.00 AM to 11.30 PM Saturdays 10.00 AM to 02.00 PM Or as determined by the Exchange from time to time. All timings are as per Indian Standard Timings (IST) Last Day of Trading Last day of trading for Gold shall be 20th calendar day of contract month, if 20 th happens to be a holiday or a Saturday or a Sunday, then the previous working day, which is other than a Saturday. Mark to Market The outstanding positions in futures contract in Gold would be marked to market daily based on the Daily Settlement Price (DSP) as determined by the Exchange. Position limits At the commodity level, the member-wise position limit will be a maximum of 6 MT or15% of market-wide open position whichever is higher. The Client-wise position limit will be a

maximum of 2 MT. Both position limits will be subject to NCDEX Regulations and directions from time to time. The above position limits will not apply to bona fide hedgers as determined by the Exchange. Margin Requirements NCDEX will use Value at Risk (VaR) based margin calculated at 99% confidence interval for one day time horizon. NCDEX reserves the right to change, reduce or levy any additional margins including any mark up margin.

Special Margin In case of additional volatility, a special margin of at such other percentage, as deemed fit, will be imposed immediately on both buy and sell side in respect of all outstanding positions, which will remain in force for next 2 days, after which the special margin will be relaxed. Pre-Expiry Additional Margin There will be an additional margin imposed for the last 2 trading days, including the expiry date of the Gold contract. The additional margin will be added to the normal exposure margin and will be increased by 5% everyday for the last 2 trading days of the contract. Delivery Margins In case of open positions materializing into physical delivery, delivery margins as may be determined by the Exchange from time to time will be charged. The delivery margins will be calculated based on the number of days required for completing the physical delivery settlement (the look-ahead period and the risks arising thereof). Arbitration Disputes between the members of the Exchange inter-se and between members and constituents, arising out of or pertaining to trades done on NCDEX shall be settled through arbitration. The arbitration proceedings and appointment of arbitrators shall be as governed by the Bye-laws and Regulations of the Exchange. DELIVERY PROCEDURES Unit of Delivery The unit of delivery for Gold shall be 1 kg. Delivery Size Delivery is to be offered and accepted in lots of 1 kg Net only or multiples thereof. No quantity variation is permitted as per contract specification. Delivery Requests

The procedure for Gold delivery is based on the contract specifications as per Exhibit IA and Exhibit IB. All the open positions shall have to be compulsorily delivered either by giving delivery or taking delivery as the case may be. That is, upon expiry of the contracts, any seller with open position shall give delivery of the commodity. The corresponding buyer with open position as matched by the process put in place by the Exchange shall be bound to settle by taking physical delivery. In the event of default by seller or buyer to give delivery or take delivery, as the case may be, such defaulting seller or buyer will be liable to penalty as may be prescribed by the Exchange from time to time. The Buyers and the Sellers need to give their location preference through the front end of the trading terminal. If the Sellers fail to give the location preference then the allocation to the extent of his open position will be allocated to the base location. Quality Standards The contract quality for delivery of Gold futures contracts made under NCDEX Regulations shall be Gold conforming to the quality specification indicated in the contract. No lower grade/quality shall be accepted in satisfaction of futures contracts for delivery except as and to the extent provided in the contract specifications. Delivery of higher grade would be accepted with premium. Packaging The gold bars to be accepted at the designated vault shall be directly imported and hallmarked from the approved list of refiners through the approved logistic agency i.e. Brinks Arya India (Pvt.) Ltd. or their affiliates / associates. The Gold bars delivered at the Exchange designated vault, indicated in Exhibit 4, should bear the refinery serial no. and accompanied with the Refinery certificate. Gold held at the NCDEX approved vaults will be on un -allocated basis i.e. it will be co mingled with those gold bars pertaining to the participants of NCDEX. These bars will be of 1 Kg only. Standard Allowances No standard allowance is allowed on account of sample testing. Weight The quantity of Gold received and or delivered at the NCDEX designated vault would be determined / calculated by the weight together with serial number as indicated in the enclosed Refinery certificate submitted at the time of delivery into the designated vault and would be binding on all parties. Good / Bad delivery Norms Gold delivery into NCDEX designated Warehouse would constitute good delivery or bad delivery based on the good / bad delivery norms as per Exhibit 3. The list contained in Exhibit 3 is only illustrative and not exhaustive. NCDEX would from time to time review and update the good / bad delivery norms retaining the trade / industry practices.

Accredited Assayer NCDEX has approved the Assayer for quality testing and certification of Gold received at the designated warehouse. The quality testing and certification of Gold will be undertaken only by the approved Assayer. The assayer details are given in the Exhibit 2 alongside the warehouses.

Quality Testing Report Gold delivered into the NCDEX designated vault. This must be accompanied with the certificate from the LBMA approved Refinery. A specimen of the certificate issued by LBMA approved refinery is posted under Exhibit 6. Assayer Certificate Testing and quality certificate issued by NCDEX approved Assayer for Gold delivered at designated warehouse in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and at such other locations announced by the Exchange from time to time shall be acceptable and binding on all parties. Each delivery of Gold at the warehouse must be accompanied by a certificate from NCDEX approved Assayer in the format as per Exhibit 4. Validity period The validity period of the Assayers Certificate for Gold is till the withdrawal from the warehouse. Electronic transfer Any buyer or seller receiving and or effecting Gold would have to open a depository account with an NCDEX empanelled Depository Participant (DP) to hold the Gold in electronic form. On settlement, the buyers account with the DP would be credited with the quantity of Gold received and the corresponding sellers account would be debited. The Buyer wanting to take physical delivery of the Gold holding has to make a request in

prescribed form to his DP with whom depository account has been opened. The DP would route the request to the warehouse for issue of the physical commodity i.e. Gold to the buyer and debit his account, thus reducing the electronic balance to the extent of Gold so rematerialized. Charges All charges and costs payable at the designated warehouse towards delivery of Gold including sampling, grading, weighing, handling charges, storage etc. from the date of receipt into designated warehouse upto date of pay in & settlement shall be paid by the seller. No refund for warehouse charges paid by the seller for full validity period shall be given to the seller or buyer for delivery earlier than the validity period. All charges and costs associated & including storage, handling etc. after the pay out shall be borne by the buyer. Warehouse storage charges will be charged to the member / client by the respective Depository Participant. The Assayer charges for testing and quality certification should be paid to the Assayer directly at the delivery location either by cash / cheque / demand draft.

Duties & levies All duties, levies etc. up to the point of sale will have to be fully borne by the seller and shall be paid to the concerned authority. All related documentation should be completed before delivery of Gold into the NCDEX accredited warehouse. Stamp Duty Stamp duty is payable on all contract notes issued as may be applicable in the State from where the contract note is issued or State in which such contract note is received by the client.

Taxes Service tax

Service tax will be payable by the members of Commodity Exchanges on the gross amount charged by them from their clients on account of dealing in commodities. Sales Tax / VAT Local taxes/ VAT wherever applicable is to be paid by the seller to the sales tax/VAT authorities on all contracts resulting in delivery. Accordingly the buyer will have to pay the taxes/VAT to the seller at the time of settlement. Members and / or their constituents requiring to receive or deliver Gold should register with the relevant tax/VAT authorities of the place where the delivery is proposed to be received / given. In the event of sales tax exemption, such exemption certificate should be submitted before settlement of the obligation. There will be no exemptions on account of resale or second sale in VAT regime. Premium / Discount Premium & Discount on the Gold delivered will be provided by the Exchange on the basis of quality specifications: The Exchange will communicate the premium / discounts amount applicable. Such amount will be adjusted to the members account through the supplementary settlement.