The Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange (SDiX) and the Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. (MCX) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) forging a strategic alliance to launch spot and derivatives contracts on diamonds in India, including using the SDiX-traded reference prices. SDiX is the world’s first and only commodity exchange trading in physically settled diamonds while MCX holds the repute as India’s leading commodity derivatives exchange with an overall 90 percent market share and near 100 percent in bullion.

The alliance will develop, design and launch, with the relevant regulatory approvals, the first diamond derivatives contract of its kind anywhere in the world. The contracts will utilise actual traded spot prices for the daily and final settlement of diamond contracts.

The MoU serves as the foundation for both exchanges to collaborate in the areas of product and market development, investor education and knowledge sharing in this domain, and to promote the further growth of the diamond market by leveraging the respective strengths of each platform.

Alain Vandenborre, Executive Chairman & Founder of SDiX, commented: “India is the largest polished diamond centre in the world, and so tools to hedge business risk give an attractive incentive to trade on the platform in this market. SDiX is committed to working with MCX to offer this unique opportunity for jewellers and diamond traders, commodity market participants, and intermediaries to trade in diamonds in a transparent and regulated market. This development reinforces the role of SDiX as the sole provider of a true global pricing benchmark for investment grade diamonds”.

Mrugank Pranjape, CEO of Multi Commodity Exchange, added: “The MoU will support the mutual interests of MCX and SDiX towards establishing price discovery, enhancing transparency in prices and help the value-chain with a risk management platform, in a commodity like Diamond in which India has a significant global presence. MCX already has the patronage of the Bullion & Jewellery value-chain in India. Through this association, both the exchanges, as well as the market stakeholders they serve, will be able to capitalize on the synergies, leverage knowledge and expertise to support innovations and development in diamond trading”.

SDiX and MCX are together well placed to offer domestic Indian diamond traders, jewellers and financial market participants access to Indian Rupee denominated derivatives products based on physically settled diamonds.