Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. (MCX) and the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Global Commodity Conclave 2026 to establish the MCX-NISM Centre for Commodity Markets. According to reports from The Economic Times and CNBC TV18, the initiative aims to strengthen professional capability, research and responsible participation in India's commodity markets through a dedicated platform housed at NISM. The centre will focus on strengthening expertise in commodity derivatives, risk management, compliance and responsible participation across India's commodity markets, addressing the need for specialised research and training as the market evolves with new products, changing regulations and closer links with global markets.
The centre will focus on capacity building and professional development, applied research, investor awareness, and academic engagement. As reported by The Economic Times and CNBC TV18, training programmes will cover the use of commodity derivatives for risk management, along with issues such as suitability, ethical conduct and compliance. The programmes are expected to cater to market participants, corporates, investors and academics. The key objective is to sharpen understanding of commodity derivatives and their role in managing market risks, with the centre working on commodity derivatives, hedging, corporate risk management, compliance and market practices.
The centre will conduct applied research and work on policy and white papers, with a comprehensive suite of faculty development programmes, doctoral fellowships, visiting scholar initiatives, and academic symposia. According to CNBC TV18, these initiatives will help build a sustained talent pipeline for India's commodity markets. MCX will contribute its domain expertise in content development, instructional design and assessment development to break down market knowledge into structured learning programmes, while NISM will provide the academic and research infrastructure for the centre. The two institutions have not disclosed details of the centre's funding, programme timelines or specific research projects.
Sashi Krishnan, Director of NISM, emphasized that commodity market development rests on rigorous, current and grounded research in Indian market realities and well-trained professionals. As reported by CNBC TV18, he noted that as commodity trading grows more complex with new products and evolving regulatory frameworks, dedicated research becomes increasingly necessary. Praveena Rai, MD and CEO of MCX, stated that efficient commodity markets rely on informed and skilled participants, with the partnership reflecting commitment to fostering a sophisticated, transparent and resilient market ecosystem. She added that the partnership would focus on addressing the knowledge gap as commodity derivatives evolve.
The centre will strengthen industry-academia collaboration and support the development of skills, research and responsible participation across India's commodity markets. According to The Economic Times and CNBC TV18, as India's commodity markets become more sophisticated and globally integrated, the initiative fulfils a need for specialised skills, research and market awareness. The collaboration combines MCX's industry and market expertise with NISM's academic infrastructure and research capabilities to enhance India's commodity market ecosystem. The initiative comes as India's commodity derivatives market evolves with new products, changing regulations and closer links with global markets, making dedicated research and professional training more relevant than ever.
