Course abstract

Regulatory reforms across the world are gradually being introduced to reduce trade impediments between nations and usher in free market based pricing. Cross border investments through direct/portfolio routes are also being enticed as a medium for funding of growth and developmental activities. In addition, the governments of developing nations continue to pursue their strategy of partial privatization of the frontier sectors in an attempt to raise revenues for the exchequer as well as reduce operational losses with increased efficiency. Under these stimuli, scientific risk management by the investor fraternity becomes of cardinal necessity for generating competitive returns and surviving in the marketplace. Derivatives have proven to be immensely useful in the management of financial risk. Their vitality can be gauged from the exponential growth in trading volumes as well as the advent of new structured products literally on a day to day basis. Derivatives in petroleum and natural gas industries in the United States are, now, well entrenched, and they are being extensively used in the electricity industry as well. Traditional courses on derivatives can be classified almost exclusively into those: (i) that provide a comprehensive coverage of the underlying mathematical models using stochastic calculus and develop the subject as an extension of probabilistic mathematics e.g. mathematical finance and (ii) that cover the theme purely at a superficial level focusing on the operating aspects like exchange trading methodologies, marking and margining aspects etc. They consciously avoid entering the mathematical/stochastic structure that forms the very basis of the pricing and applications of these instruments.