Step 1: Historical Evolution of Indian Currency Markets:
Historically, currency hedging in India was restricted to over-the-counter (OTC) forward contracts, which were highly customized but illiquid and accessible only to large corporate entities through authorized dealer banks.
Step 2: Launch of Exchange-Traded Currency Derivatives:
To provide a transparent, standardized, and highly liquid platform for currency hedging, SEBI and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) jointly permitted stock exchanges to list currency derivatives.
Step 3: Pinpointing the Milestone Date:
The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) inaugurated exchange-traded currency futures trading in the USD-INR pair on August 29, 2008 (B). This milestone allowed retail traders, importers, and exporters to hedge their foreign exchange exposures easily.