Sebi asks exchanges to review expiry of agro derivative contracts

NCDEX extends settlement date by 10 days even as volume halved in lockdown

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked exchanges to review expiry dates of contracts of agricultural commodities given the operational disruption caused by the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Following Sebi’s instruction, the NCDEX —  India’s largest exchange for agricultural commodities — has extended expiry dates of all its agri contracts maturing on April 20 to April 30. “The exchange is continuously reviewing and taking decisions,” an NCDEX spokesperson said.

The exchange’s expiry for this month got over on March 20, days before the lockdown came into effect on March 21. Since the lockdown, the NCDEX’s