New Delhi, Feb. 2 -- The proposed increase in the securities transaction tax (STT) on derivatives from the next fiscal could drive a shift in trading from futures to options, where the hike in the levy is comparatively lower, experts said. This could partly offset the estimated 10-15% dent in derivative volumes, according to some of them.

The STT on futures was increased in Budget 2026 by 150% to 0.05% and that on options by 50% to 0.15%. However, the STT on futures has a bigger impact because it is calculated on the notional or total contract turnover. In options, the tax is calculated on the premium turnover, which is the actual traded value and therefore tends to be less than the notional turnover.

Analysts and brokers estimate that ...