Indian agricultural commodity derivatives market – In conversation with S Sivakumar, Divisional Chief Executive, Agri Business Division, ITC Ltd.

Though the agricultural sector contributes significantly to the Indian economy, it faces several bottlenecks, one of those being the antiquated laws governing agricultural marketing and price discovery, leading to low price realization by Indian farmers. In India, six national level exchanges offer commodity derivatives contracts on commodities, with some having electronic spot exchanges to facilitate spot trading of commodities. However, farmers' participation in these exchanges has been poor. ITC-ABD, one of the largest aggregators and exporters of Indian agri-commodities, has started using these exchange platforms to hedge price risk. With experience of over three decades in the agricultural sector, Mr. S. Sivakumar has a deep understanding of the commodity markets and the needs of Indian farmers. This interview aims to get an insight into his views on increasing farmers' participation in commodity derivatives trading and more importantly, to understand ITC-ABD's commodity hedging strategy.