All financial markets cite risk as RBI cuts trading hours: Learn More

Lockdowns, social distancing, restrictions on the movement of people and non-essential activities have not only pulled brakes on economic activities but the trading hours in the financial markets have also been decreased. RBI has cut the trading hours of various markets up to 4 hours daily. The money market where financial instruments with high liquidity and short-term maturities are traded will be open only from 10 am to 2 pm, instead of 9 am to 5 pm from April 7 to April 17. “Staff and IT resources have been severely affected, posing operational and logistic risks and the thinning out of activity is impacting market liquidity and increasing volatility of financial prices,” RBI said in its statement.  

In order to minimize these risks and to ensure that market participants maintain adequate checks and supervisory controls while optimizing thin resources and ensuring the safety of personnel, it has been decided to revise trading hours for various markets, the Reserve Bank added.