Under Pressure
As the Indian rupee reached a record low of 87.58 to the dollar on Thursday, it finds itself at a critical juncture, navigating a sea of global and domestic pressures.
As the Indian rupee reached a record low of 87.58 to the dollar on Thursday, it finds itself at a critical juncture, navigating a sea of global and domestic pressures.
Notably, the rupee dropped to 85.0650 against the US dollar in early trade, compared to 84.9525 on Wednesday.
The Indian rupee’s surge to a two-month high on Thursday signals a broader shift in the global economic landscape, influenced not just by domestic factors but by international dynamics as well.
The minister said that a stable economy will propel India to become one of the top 3 economies in the world.
It is not just Western sanctions on Russia that accelerated the trend to circumvent the dollar, but the strength of the currency in the past year has also posed a challenge.
Forex traders said the rupee traded in a narrow range ahead of the release of retail inflation and factory output data.
A strengthening dollar against major currencies overseas and weak domestic equity market weighed on the local unit, forex traders said. However, softening crude oil prices restricted the rupee's fall, they added.
Forex traders said rupee is expected to trade in a narrow range as market participants will keep a close watch on the Union budget this week, that could trigger volatility in the local unit.
The domestic currency, however, could not hold on to the gains and fell to 69.09. The rupee finally settled at 68.94 a dollar, higher by 9 paise over its previous close.
Subdued sentiments in domestic equity markets also influenced the trading pattern in the currency market, forex traders said. However, a weak dollar against major currencies overseas restricted the rupee's fall, they added.