New Delhi: The country's leading agri commodity bourse National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) will launch futures trading in carbon credits next month, a top official of the exchange said.

"The exchange will introduce the much-awaited carbon credit futures by April 20," NCDEX Chief Executive P H Ravikumar told PTI.

He said carbon credit futures would be a development product. Such trading would provide transparency to markets and help producers earn remunerative returns out of environmentally clean projects, he added.

Another leading exchange MCX has already started futures in carbon credits by launching five contracts in January this year.

Ravikumar also said NCDEX has sought approval from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) to start a power bourse in a joint venture with the National Stock Exchange.

On other new launches, Ravikumar said, "We are working to introduce coal futures. We are awaiting for the approval from the commodity market regulator. It may take good 4-5 months".

With respect to index futures and options trading, he said these products are very much required to widen the breadth of commodity market.

However, these products would be launched only after the amendment of the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act (FCRA) passed in the Parliament. "I believe this would take some time. We tentatively plan to introduce them post October."
Source : PTI