The Central Bank of Russia, together with Moscow Exchange, has launched a shareholder value creation programme for Russian public joint-stock companies that will create a “benchmark issuer” group and a dedicated stock index intended to serve as a market benchmark for investors and support corporate best practices. Participation is open to issuers whose shares are in Moscow Exchange’s Level One and Level Two quotation lists, with successful applicants’ securities included in the new index’s calculation base. A committee made up of representatives of Moscow Exchange, the Central Bank of Russia, and the Analytical Credit Rating Agency will review applications, assessing corporate governance effectiveness, information transparency, and financial and economic indicators, and participants will need to reconfirm their status at least annually. The index is intended to be usable by professional market participants to structure collective investment funds and index-based trust management strategies. Applications will be accepted from 31 March through 15 June 2025.