What is India Financial Market?

What does the India Financial market comprise of? It talks about the primary market, FDIs, alternative investment options, banking and insurance and the pension sectors, asset management segment as well. With all these elements in the India Financial market, it happens to be one of the oldest across the globe and is definitely the fastest growing and best among all the financial markets of the emerging economies. The history of Indian capital markets spans back 200 years, around the end of the 18th century. It was at this time that India was under the rule of the East India Company. The capital market of India initially developed around Mumbai; with around 200 to 250 securities brokers participating in active trade during the second half of the 19th century.

Scope of the India Financial Market The financial market in India at present is more advanced than many other sectors as it became organized as early as the 19th century with the securities exchanges in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. In the early 1960s, the number of securities exchanges in India became eight - including Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. Apart from these three exchanges, there was the Madras, Kanpur, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune exchanges as well. Today there are 23 regional securities exchanges in India. The Indian stock markets till date have remained stagnant due to the rigid economic controls. It was only in 1991, after the liberalization process that the India securities market witnessed a flurry of IPOs serially. The market saw many new companies spanning across different industry segments and business began to flourish. The launch of the NSE (National Stock Exchange) and the OTCEI (Over the Counter Exchange of India) in the mid 1990s helped in regulating a smooth and transparent form of securities trading. The regulatory body for the Indian capital markets was the SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India). The capital markets in India experienced turbulence after which the SEBI came into prominence. The market loopholes had to be bridged by taking drastic measures.

Potential of the India Financial Market -

India Financial Market helps in promoting the savings of the economy - helping to adopt an effective channel to transmit various financial policies. The Indian financial sector is well-developed, competitive, efficient and integrated to face all shocks. In the India financial market there are various types of financial products whose prices are determined by the numerous buyers and sellers in the market. The other determinant factor of the prices of the financial products is the market forces of demand and supply. The various other types of Indian markets help in the functioning of the wide India financial sector.

Features of the Financial Market in India:

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India Financial Indices - BSE 30 Index, various sector indexes, stock quotes, Sensex charts, bond prices, foreign exchange, Rupee & Dollar Chart Indian Financial market news Stock News - Bombay Stock Exchange, BSE Sensex 30 index, S&P CNX-Nifty, company information, issues on market capitalization, corporate earning statements

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Fixed Income - Corporate Bond Prices, Corporate Debt details, Debt trading activities, Interest Rates, Money Market, Government Securities, Public Sector Debt, External Debt Service Foreign Investment - Foreign Debt Database composed by BIS, IMF, OECD,& World Bank, Investments in India & Abroad Global Equity Indexes - Dow Jones Global indexes, Morgan Stanley Equity Indexes Currency Indexes - FX & Gold Chart Plotter, J. P. Morgan Currency Indexes National and Global Market Relations Mutual Funds Insurance Loans Forex and Bullion

If an investor has a clear understanding of the India financial market, then formulating investing strategies and tips would be easier.

Organized financial markets have existed in India for more than a century. Today, markets of varying maturity exist in equity, debt, commodities and foreign exchange. There are 25 stock markets all over the country, the most important of which, are the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. The rupee has been convertible on the current account since 1992. International Comparision India's total market capitalization touched Rs 644.67 billion, with an average daily turnover of Rs 2,384 million, in December 1995. India's market capitalization was the 6th highest among the emerging markets. The number of companies listed on the BSE at the end of December 1994 was 4,702. This was more than the aggregate total of companies listed in 9 emerging markets (Malaysia, S.Africa, Mexico, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil and Chile). The number of companies was also more than the that in developed markets of Japan, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Switzerland, Canada and Hong Kong. India's capital market features a wide variety of capital market instruments. Capital Markets : Previous Year Scenario The Capital markets remained subdued through most of 1995-96 and the bear phase which began in October 1994, continued through most part of 1995-96. There was a slow down in Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) inflow and domestic liquidity conditions were relatively tight. Notably, between April to December 1995, the value of primary issues was marginally higher than the corresponding period last year, despite a downtrend in stock prices and low turnover in stock exchanges.

The process of reforms in the capital markets, including the money markets, was further strengthened. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), was empowered to regulate all market intermediaries. An Ordinance to establish depositories was announced, thus addressing one of the major lacunae in the system. The National Stock Exchange expanded rapidly, providing an incentive to other stock exchanges to accelerate computerization.