Evolution of India’s Foreign Exchange Market

India’s foreign exchange policy after Independence has evolved in tandem with international developments and domestic requirements. The post-reforms period has been marked by wide-ranging measures to widen and deepen the market, besides exchange rate liberalisation. The momentous developments over the past few years are reflected in the enhanced risk-bearing capacity of banks along with rising foreign exchange trading volumes and finer margins. The foreign exchange market has acquired depth. With the economy moving towards fuller capital account convertibility in a calibrated manner, focused regulation and monitoring of the foreign exchange market assumes added importance. In this context, there is a need to strengthen infrastructure, transparency and disclosure, and product range in the foreign exchange derivative markets.