SEBI yesterday issued a circular to the BSE and NSE with a view to granting direct market access to institutional clients through the brokers’ infrastructure. The rationale for the move is described in the circular as follows:
“Direct Market Access (DMA) is a facility which allows brokers to offer clients direct access to the exchange trading system through the broker’s infrastructure without manual intervention by the broker. Some of the advantages offered by DMA are direct control of clients over orders, faster execution of client orders, reduced risk of errors associated with manual order entry, greater transparency, increased liquidity, lower impact costs for large orders, better audit trails and better use of hedging and arbitrage opportunities through the use of decision support tools / algorithms for trading.
While ensuring conformity with the provisions of the Securities Contract (Regulations) Act, 1956 (42 of 1956), Stock Exchanges may facilitate Direct Market Access for Investors …”
This will, of course, be subject to necessary amendments to byelaws and regulations of the stock exchanges.
Further reports on this development are available at The Hindu Business Line and Livemint.