Reuters Market Eye - The rupee higher weaker, at 54.20/22 from its previous close of 54.38/39, tracking global dollar weakness, says a senior dealer.
Dealers say market also likely positioning for inflows from Jet-Etihad deal.
Local stocks up 0.7 percent.
Taiwan dollar, won, Singapore dollar, ringgit firm.
Ambitious Gulf carrier Etihad Airways is taking almost a quarter stake in India's Jet Airways , giving it a bigger foothold in the fast-growing Indian market.
The yen was steady against its major counterparts in early Asia trading on Thursday, with the dollar still shy of the 100-yen mark and the euro remaining off overnight lows hit in the wake of disappointing German data.
(Reporting by Subhadip Sircar)