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“They (the RBI) are not averse to the process of settlement of Indian bonds on the Euroclear platform and have been taking feedback from the market,” a source aware of the development said. “Such discussions happened earlier too – there were some concerns over a parallel yield curve developing, although the market has developed more now and is much deeper.”
In most cases, bonds listed on an international index are settled on global platforms such as those offered by the Belgium-based Euroclear.
Although Euroclear settlements are not mandatory for inclusion of Indian sovereign debt on global bond indices such as those offered by JP Morgan and Bloomberg Barclays, the presence of a settlement mechanism on a global platform is seen to help push the cause for inclusion.
‘Tax Relief Unlikely’
A Reuters report, citing Bank of America Securities, said last month that index inclusion could lead to inflows of $6 to $12 billion over a period of time into India, thereby helping lower yields on sovereign debt. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.
To be sure, New Delhi is unlikely to provide any tax breaks for overseas investors that may use Euroclear for buying and selling in Indian sovereign bonds.
“However, as things stand, it is unlikely that the government will give in to any of the long-standing requests for tax relief for foreign investors,” the source said.
An email sent to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) remained unanswered until the publication of this report.
Indian authorities have been in talks with the managers of bond indices such as the JP Morgan Emerging Market Index and the Bloomberg Barclays index over the past five years regarding the inclusion of domestic sovereign debt on these gauges.
Late September of last year, the FTSE said that India remains a potential candidate for index inclusion. Early October last year, JP Morgan said that India’s bonds continue to stay on the watchlist for entry.
Index reviews are typically concluded by the end of September.
‘Operational Ease’
Over the past couple of years, foreign investors have often pushed for settlement of Indian bonds on overseas platforms, citing operational ease.
However, settlement on Euroclear – while preferred by foreign investors – is not strictly an essential requirement for inclusion in a global bond index, with China continuing to settle bonds locally despite having its debt listed overseas.
“Investors and index providers have met multiple times over the past few months. There is eagerness from their side as it is important to bring in a large, liquid market in the absence of Russia,” said another banking industry source.
“On the tax front, it seems a foregone conclusion that the Indian government will not provide special treatment for foreign investors.”
A key demand that was made by overseas investors was for easier treatment of capital gains tax for foreign settlement of bonds.
“Foreign banks in India have been working on the operational side of things, keeping in mind the settlement requirements of international investors. It remains to be seen if an agreement can be reached this time,” the source said.
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