The rupee on Thursday opened 23 paise higher at 71.43 against the US dollar amid firm Asian equities and rise in crude oil prices.
The domestic unit on Wednesday recovered from initial losses to settle higher by 5 paise at 71.66, extending gains for a fifth straight session on the back of firm domestic equities and Asian currencies like the Chinese yuan.
Forex traders said the uptick in domestic stocks enthused investors, following which the domestic unit gained strength and recovered from early losses.
"Rupee is driven more by global factors rather than domestic factors. Since Chinese yuan has stabilised