Money-market-and-capital-market-in-india-intruments-and-dynamics / Money Market and Capital Market in India - Intruments and Dynamics / Discount and Finance House of India (DFHI)

Discount and Finance House of India (DFHI)

Introduction

  • The Discount and Finance House of India (DFHI), founded in March 1988 and operational since April 1988, serves as a money market institution
  • Its principal aim is to ease short-term liquidity imbalances by fostering a robust secondary market for money market instruments. 
  • DFHI's establishment followed the guidance of the Vaghul Committee
  • In 2004, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) transferred its entire stake to SBI Giltz Limited, which subsequently renamed it SBI DFHI.

Major Functions on DFHI

  • DFHI actively engages in transactions across all money market segments
  • It participates in borrowing and lending in the call, notice, and term money market. 
  • Additionally, DFHI buys and sells treasury bills from auctions, along with commercial bills, certificates of deposit (CDs), and commercial papers (CPs).
  • To foster an active secondary market, DFHI provides daily bid (buying) and offer (selling) rates for these money market instruments
  • Its presence fills gaps by facilitating buying and selling of these bills in the secondary market.
  • DFHI's role in the secondary market benefits corporate entities and other organizations by enabling them to invest their short-term surpluses and liquidate them as needed.