National Stock Exchange (NSE) Managing Director and CEO Ashish Chauhan said no application has been made to allow NSE's own shares to be traded on the exchange, as the bourse prepares for its much-awaited public listing.
Speaking about the exchange's upcoming IPO, Chauhan clarified that there is currently no application to facilitate trading in NSE shares on NSE itself.
Chauhan also stressed that NSE's regulatory responsibilities will take precedence over its commercial interests. "We are regulator first, then comes business," he said, adding that in case of a conflict between the regulator and business interests, NSE would side with the regulators.
NSE Reduces Dependence On Weekly Options
Chauhan said NSE has reduced its dependence on weekly options and is working on several other businesses that could contribute to revenue growth. "NSE has reduced its dependence on weekly options. We have many other businesses coming up which will give us revenue," he said.
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The comments come at a time when regulators have introduced several measures aimed at improving the derivatives market and protecting retail investors.
13 Crore Unique Investors
Highlighting NSE's scale, Chauhan said the exchange has played a key role in expanding India's capital markets and increasing retail participation over the past 32 years. "For 32 years we have grown India's market and ensured participation of the retail investors," he said.
India is now the fourth-largest market in the world in terms of market capitalisation, Chauhan added.
NSE has around 13 crore unique investors, with its investor base spread across almost the entire country. According to Chauhan, the exchange has investors from all but 28 pincodes in India.
Technology And Multi-Asset Presence
Chauhan also highlighted NSE's vertically integrated technology platform as one of its key strengths. "We are vertically integrated at NSE, we own our set of technologies at NSE," he said.
The exchange is also a multi-asset-class platform, giving it exposure to multiple segments of India's financial markets. NSE handles around Rs 2,200 crore of trading volume a day, according to Chauhan.
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