Capital inflows supported the rupee after initial weakness as the dollar strengthened overseas and stocks fell.
The Reserve Bank of India, seeking to calm the currency markets, today said the current account deficit in 2013-14 will be USD 56 billion, lower than earlier projections, and that there is no fundamental reason for rupee depreciation.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened lower at 63.90 and dropped to 63.91 as stocks declined and importers bought dollars.
RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said the central bank was weighing options to contain exchange rate volatility and would come out with 'appropriate' steps in the future.
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"Overall, his speech came as a breather for the weakening rupee," said Abhishek Goenka, CEO of India Forex Advisors. "He also added that they will bring down the current account deficit to USD 56 billion this fiscal."
"The rupee appreciated over half a per cent as the Reserve Bank of India is likely to have intervened via state-run banks as rupee was falling further after it opened at a nine-week low of 63.90 against the dollar," said Pramit Brahmbhatt, CEO of Alpari Financial Services (India). "Equity markets continued its fall...Which capped the rupee's gains."
The dollar index was up 0.04 per cent against a basket of six major global currencies.