HISTORY: National Stock Exchange was incorporated in the year 1992 to bring about transparency in the Indian equity markets. Instead of trading memberships being confined to a group of brokers, NSE ensured that anyone who was qualified, experienced and met the minimum financial requirements was allowed to trade. In this context, NSE was ahead of its time when it separated ownership and management of the exchange under SEBI’s supervision. Stock price information which could earlier be accessed only by a handful of people could now be seen by a client in a remote location with the same ease. The paper-based settlement was replaced by electronic depository-based accounts and settlement of trades was always done on time. One of the most critical changes involved a robust risk management system that was set in place, to ensure that settlement guarantees would protect investors against broker defaults.
National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) is the leading stock exchange of India, located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. NSE was established in 1992 as the first dematerialized electronic exchange in the country. NSE was the first exchange in the country to provide a modern, fully automated screen-based electronic trading system which offered easy trading facilities to investors spread across the length and breadth of the country. Vikram Limaye is Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of NSE. National Stock Exchange has a total market capitalization of more than US$2.27 trillion, making it the world’s 11th-largest stock exchange as of April 2018. NSE’s flagship index, the NIFTY 50, a 50 stock index is used extensively by investors in India and around the world as a barometer of the Indian capital market. The NIFTY 50 index was launched in 1996 by NSE. However, Vaidyanathan (2016) estimates that only about 4% of the Indian economy / GDP is actually derived from the stock exchanges in India. Unlike countries like the United States where nearly 70% of the country’s GDP is derived from large companies in the corporate sector, the corporate sector in India accounts for only 12-14% of the national GDP (as of October 2016). Of these only 7,800 companies are listed of which only 4000 trade on the stock exchanges at BSE and NSE. Hence the stocks trading at the BSE and NSE account for only around 4% of the Indian economy, which derives most of its income-related activity from the so-called unorganized sector and household spending.
The following products are trading on NIFTY 50 Index in the Indian and international Market:
• 7 Asset Management Companies have launched exchange-traded funds on NIFTY 50 Index which are listed on NSE.
• 15 index funds have been launched on NIFTY 50 Index.
• Unit linked products have been launched on NIFTY 50 Index by several insurance companies in India
• World Indices.
Derivatives Trading on NIFTY 50 Index:
• Futures and Options trading on NIFTY 50 Index.
• Trading in NIFTY 50 Index Futures on Singapore Stock Exchange(SGX).
• Trading in NIFTY 50 Index Futures on Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).
NSE has collaborated with several universities like Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics (GIPE), Pune, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University (BVDU), Pune, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, the Ravenshaw University of Cuttack and Punjabi University, Patiala, among others to offer MBA and BBA courses. NSE has also provided mock market simulation software called NSE Learn to Trade (NLT) to develop investment, trading and portfolio management skills among the students.The simulation software is very similar to the software currently being used by the market professionals and helps students to learn how to trade in the markets.
NSE also conducts online examination and awards certification, under its Certification in Financial Markets (NCFM) programmes. At present, certifications are available in 46 modules, covering different sectors of financial and capital markets, both at the beginner and advanced levels. The list of various modules can be found at the official site of NSE India. In addition, since August 2009, it offered a short-term course called NSE Certified Capital Market Professional (NCCMP). The NCCMP or NSE Certified Capital Market Professional is a 100-hour program for over 3–4 months, conducted at the colleges, and covers theoretical and practical training in subjects related to the capital markets. NCCMP covers subjects like equity markets, debt markets, derivatives, macroeconomics, technical analysis, and fundamental analysis. Successful candidates are awarded joint certification from NSE and the concerned.