SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch on Thursday launched Bond Central – a centralised database portal for corporate bonds. The launch of Bond Central marks a significant development in India's corporate bond market, spearheaded by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in partnership with the Online Bond Platform Providers Association of India (OBPP), NSE, BSE, NSDL, and CDSL.
This platform is set to transform access to corporate bonds, focusing on enhancing transparency and encouraging retail investor participation. By offering a unified and comprehensive view of corporate bonds across exchanges, Bond Central seeks to simplify investment decisions for retail investors.
Since the introduction of the OBPP platform, a remarkable 327% increase in monthly transactions of corporate bonds and Structured Debt Instruments (SDIs) has been observed over the past year. Bond Central aims to build on this momentum by providing investors with educational resources and discovery tools. These tools will allow investors to compare corporate bond prices with Government Securities and other fixed-income indices, crucial for informed decision-making.
Key features
Comprehensive Bond Listings: A centralized display of corporate bonds from various exchanges and issuers, promoting transparency and facilitating comparisons.
Price Comparison: Investors have the ability to analyze corporate bond prices in relation to Government Securities (G-Secs) and other fixed-income indices, enhancing decision-making.
Investor-Centric Information: Access detailed risk assessments, corporate bond documents, and disclosures to help investors effectively evaluate opportunities.
Enhanced Transparency: Our platform standardizes corporate bond-related data, reducing information asymmetry and enhancing trust within the market.
The repository can be accessed at https://www.bondcentral.in/
Key benefits
The platform will prioritise retail investor-centric information by providing detailed risk assessments, bond documents, and disclosures. This approach helps investors evaluate opportunities effectively, while standardising corporate bond-related data enhances transparency, reduces information asymmetry, and fosters trust in the market.
Bond Central’s key feature is its unified view of corporate bonds from different issuers and exchanges, facilitating seamless discovery and comparison for investors. This supports SEBI’s vision of a balanced investment ecosystem, aiming to make corporate bonds and SDIs as accessible as other asset classes.
"For India’s corporate bond market to reach its full potential, investors need clarity, confidence, and accessibility Bond Central delivers on all three fronts. By offering a consolidated platform with investor-friendly features, we are ensuring that Corporate Bonds and SDIs become as easy to invest in as any other asset class, ” said Aditi Mittal, Chairperson OBPP Association and Co-Founder of IndiaBonds.
Aligned with SEBI's goals to increase retail participation, Bond Central supports the development of market infrastructure and promotes a balanced investment landscape. This initiative is in line with SEBI's 'Bonds for Viksit Bharat' theme, striving for a more inclusive and participatory financial market. By delivering investor-friendly features, Bond Central ensures that the corporate bonds landscape is accessible and comprehensible for retail investors.