FPI buying in index eligible government bonds picks up pace

Synopsis

Foreign portfolio investment in Indian government securities designated under the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) have crossed the ₹1 trillion lakh crore, rising to ₹1.02 lakh crore as on October 16 versus ₹96,661.33 crore as on September 29, Clearing Corporation of India data showed.

Agencies Sources aware of the developments said that the advisory council would likely complete its review this month and that if India were to be included, the next step would be for index managers to work out operational aspects such as weightage of domestic bonds.

Mumbai: Overseas investors have accelerated purchases of government securities in a segment that global index bond providers consider eligible for their platforms. These purchases follow JP Morgan’s inclusion of Indian debt in its index and ahead of a review this month by advisors to the Bloomberg Fixed Income Index.

Foreign portfolio investment in Indian government securities designated under the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) have crossed the ₹1 trillion lakh crore, rising to ₹1.02 lakh crore as on October 16 versus ₹96,661.33 crore as on September 29, Clearing Corporation of India data showed.

FAR securities, which do not have any limits for foreign investment, are the bonds which global indices consider eligible for inclusion. Even as foreign investors have increased their holdings of the FAR securities by ₹5,021.96 crore so far this month, they have brought down their holdings of Indian bonds in the general category by ₹1,516 crore over the same period amid a sharp rise in local bond yields.

“There is clearly going to be a demand for FAR securities on account of the JP Morgan index inclusion. Whether it’s front-loading, or whether it is investors who are already holding Indian allocations, they would want to shift to the FAR securities,” said Nitin Agarwal, head of trading at ANZ.

“At this juncture, it’s a given that if any more index providers include Indian bonds, it will also be in the FAR securities. Investors will broadly be attracted towards the category that will be included, especially given the yield pickup consideration,” he said.

In a document dated October 2, Bloomberg Index Services Limited said that it will be holding advisory councils for the Bloomberg Fixed Income Index in Asia, Europe, and the US this month and the next, with one of the considerations to be taken up being the eligibility of Indian government bonds for index inclusion.

Sources aware of the developments said that the advisory council would likely complete its review this month and that if India were to be included, the next step would be for index managers to work out operational aspects such as weightage of domestic bonds.

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