Forex Information

Introduction

Forex market also known as foreign exchange is a new concept for India. It is a place where various currencies are traded. Foreign exchange or forex means a market place where one currency is traded for another. The major players of this market are banks, financial institution, large companies, financial brokers and individuals. In the recent years forex trading has gained tremendous popularity. These are unique by its large volume, extreme liquidity, 24 hour trading availability and various types of options available.

Forex market and India

Indian forex market is small when compared with other developed countries but with the multinationals coming up and new government policies the path of expansion is on its new heights. The Indian government has now open up new ways to trade and regulated this market as well. India has shown great rise in its forex turnover in last three years. People now feel comfortable to trade in and exit from the market.

Indias share in world forex market has shown growth of 0.9% last year and will grow further. It is the fastest growth of any country. The growth rates of developed countries is much lower compared with developing countries.UK and US have shown the lowest change in contribution of foreign exchange. In India people are now more aware of the kinds of trading like derivative markets, options, swapping, hedging etc. The most important characteristic of forex is the impact on various currencies by the change in one currency rates. Any economic activity in world affects the forex market immediately.

Rules and Regulations

Indian forex market is regulated by FEMA that is foreign exchange management act 1999. It controls, regulates and manages the activities of forex market in India. All the queries, petitions come under this.

Factors

The factors which influence the forex market in India are government polices and rules, tax structure, inflation rates, RBI rates and interest rates, foreign trade policies, world bank interest rates and economic growth and health.

Conclusion

The three fold growth of forex trades in India has proved the upcoming power and will soon be called as a investment hub. The scope of forex market is very huge in India as it is in its initial stage. New developments are in row and very soon Indian market would emerge as a high potential foreign exchange market place.

Gone are the days when people carried travelerscheques when travelling abroad. With the latest advancements in technology, one can now benefit from plastic money even while travelling overseas.

Foreign exchange or Forex cards are prepaid foreign currency cards to make your foreign trip totally hassle-free and convenient. You can load this pre-paid card in your country and use it to withdraw money abroad from VISA/ Master Card/ American Express ATMs. Irrespective of the currency of the card, the cash will be in the currency of the country. Furthermore, one can also use these cards at merchant establishments accepting these cards.

Advantages offered by Forex card

More savings: Forex cards allow you the flexibility of spending as much as you need as compared to travelers cheques where the eniter amount needs to be encashed when you needed money
Widely acceptable: Forex cards are not just accepted in luxury restaurants or shopping malls, even taxis and local shops accept these cards
Safe and secure: Forex cards are quite secure as they come with a chip and pin feature to safeguard travellers against any fraud and comes with a backup card in the welcoming kit.
Reloadable: These cards are reloadable at anytime and anywhere. People can reload the card as many times they want within the validity period
Online transactions: The Forex Travel Card can be used for making online purchases and various transactions such as bill payments, booking air tickets, etc.
Retaining Forex Card after return: you can retain the Forex prepaid card only if the balance remaining on the card is less than US$ 2000. Else, the amount needs to be refunded within 90 days from the date of arrival.

The amount that can be loaded on a card should be done as per the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and prevailing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations. The Forex prepaid card can be loaded with any amount up to US$ 10,000 or an equivalent in Euros in a year. Further, corporate travelers can load the card up to US$ 25,000 for a business trip to any country other than Nepal and Bhutan.

Even with the growth in usage of credit and debit cards, international Forex cards are turning out to be a more viable option for travelers travelling abroad. The real advantage of these cards lies in their ability to pack multiple currencies onto a single card.