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Why Trade in Currencies?

One-stop storage

Effective Portfolio Diversification

Diversify your risk by adding Currencies

One-stop storage

Brokerage @ 20/-
per order

Breakeven in two ticks with 20 lots

Safety security of assets

Extended Trading Hours

Currency market is available for 8 hours

Safety security of assets

Low Transaction Cost

No STT & Low Stamp Duty

Safety security of assets

Low Margin

Margin requirement as low as 3%

Safety security of assets

Smaller Lot Value

Ranging from 70K to 100K

Currency Pairs available for Trading

F&O : Weekly and Monthly Contracts

  • USDINR

    ICICI direct
  • EURINR

    ICICI direct
  • GBPINR

    ICICI direct
  • JPYINR

    ICICI direct

Videos

Why trade in Currency?

How to trade in Currency?

Testimonials

Megha Dutta

I am happy to trade with ICICIdirect in Currency segment. I believe it's best DO IT YOURSELF (DYT) platform with power packed research and online support at very low brokerage.

Satish Shetty

I have been trading at ICICIdirect for past few years. My experience has been quite good. Trading in Currency has been really smooth. Further their offerings are one of the best in the market.

Pranay Ade

Apart from low brokerage, I get research support in the form of reports, podcast and trade recommendation are helping me to take informed decision while trading.

FAQs

The term 'Derivatives' indicates it derives its value from some underlying i.e. it has no independent value. Underlying can be securities, stock market index, commodities, bullion, currency or anything else. From Currency Derivatives market point of view, underlying would be a Currency. Derivatives are unique product, which helps in hedging the portfolio against the future risk. At the same time, derivatives are used for arbitrage and speculation too.
Future and Options are commonly used currency instruments in Indian derivatives market.
A future contract allows you to buy or sell an underlying asset at a present price for delivery on a future date.
Options are of two types - Call and Put. Call option gives a buyer the right but not the obligation to purchase an underlying asset at the specified strike price by paying a premium while Put gives the right but not the obligation to sell an underlying asset at a specified strike price by paying the premium.
Trading in Currency derivatives through ICICIdirect is presently offered in both Futures and Options contracts at NSE only.

Currency Derivatives are very efficient risk management instruments and you can derive the below benefits:

  • Hedging: You can protect your foreign exchange exposure in business and hedge potential losses by taking appropriate positions in the same. For e.g. If you are an importer, and have USD payments to make at a future date, you can hedge your foreign exchange exposure by buying USDINR and fixing your pay out rate today. You would hedge if you were of the view that USDINR was going to depreciate. Similarly it would give hedging opportunities to exporters to hedge their future receivables, borrowers to hedge foreign currency loans for interest and principal payments, Resident Indians, who can hedge their offshore investments.

  • Speculation: You can speculate on the short term movement of the markets by using Currency Futures. For e.g. If you expect oil prices to rise and impact India's import bill, you may buy USDINR FUTURES in expectation that the INR would depreciate. Alternatively, if you believe that strong exports from the IT sector, combined with strong FII flows will translate to INR appreciation, then you may sell USDINR FUTURES.

  • Arbitrage: You can make profits by taking advantage of the exchange rates of the currency in different markets and different exchanges.

  • Leverage: You can trade in the currency derivatives by just paying a % value called the margin amount instead of the full traded value.

I-Sec enables currencies for trading in the Currency Futures and Option segments. Only those currencies which are allowed by the exchanges are made available by I-Sec for currency Futures and Options trading. Currently, both in FUTURES and OPTIONS, all INR pairs (USDINR, EURINR, GBPINR, JPYINR) are enabled by I-Sec for trading. However, NSE offers all INR and Cross Currency pairs (GBPUSD, EURUSD, USDJPY) for trading.

Trading in Currency Derivatives through www.icicidirect.com is allowed during the exchange specified timings. Currently, the trading hours at NSE for Currency Derivatives are between 9:00 am to 05:00 pm, from Monday to Friday. The Exchange may alter the trading hours on any day for any reason that the Exchange may deem fit.

(a) Existing Customers: No, if you are an existing customer and your ICICI bank account is more than 6 months old then you can activate your account for Currency Derivatives Segment online by accepting the Online Terms and Conditions for Currency Derivative. If you have linked other bank account, then you need to submit prescribed document for activation. If your linked ICICI Bank Account is not more than 6 months old you can activate your account for Currency Derivative Segment by submitting the prescribed documentation. To apply for Currency Derivatives please contact customer care at 24-hour Customer Care Number or you can also write to us at helpdesk@icicidirect.com We will be glad to assist you further.
(b) New Customers: Yes, all new customers need to open a trading account and then activate their currency derivatives segment by selecting T&Cs and providing prescribed document for activation of Derivatives segment. For further information, please feel free to contact any of our 24-hour Customer Care Number. you may also write to us at helpdesk@icicidirect.com We will be glad to assist you further.

Once you are registered for Currency Derivatives after completing the below steps:

  • Login into your account with your user id and password

  • Accept the online "Currency Derivatives Terms and Conditions"

  • Allocate funds from Modify Allocation link for Currency Derivatives segment