Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday rejected criticism over the slide of the Indian rupee, saying it has depreciated only against a strengthening US dollar but remained stable against all other currencies because of the strong macroeconomic fundamentals. In an interview with PTI, she said a 3 per cent depreciation in the rupee against the US dollar in past few months is a matter of concern as it makes imports costlier, but she rejected criticism that the local currency has seen all-round weakness. "I am concerned but I will not accept the criticism that 'Oh Rupee is weakening!' Our macroeconomic fundamentals are strong. Rupee wouldn't be stable against all the currencies if the fundamentals were weak," she said. The Indian rupee has been under pressure in the last few months but it continues to be the least volatile currency against the US dollar among its Asian and global peers. The reasons for the rupee hitting record lows almost on a daily basis against the US dollar ..
The rupee traded in a narrow range and depreciated 3 paise to 86.65 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, ahead of the release of Economic Survey 2024-25. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table Economic Survey 2024-25 on Friday, providing an official assessment of the performance of the economy in the ongoing financial year, and list out the challenges being faced by the nation. Forex traders said the rupee continued to face pressure due to sustained foreign fund outflows and the broad strength of the American currency in the overseas markets due to unabated dollar demand from oil importers and weak risk appetite. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.63 then fell further to 86.65 against the American currency, registering a decline of 3 paise over its previous close. On Thursday, the rupee depreciated 7 paise to close at 86.62 against the US dollar. The Indian rupee continues to struggle, hovering near its all-time low, weighed down by multip
The rupee depreciated 4 paise to 86.59 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, after the US FED kept rates on hold and was hawkish in its outlook. Forex traders said the rupee continued to face pressure due to sustained foreign fund outflows and broad strength of the American currency in the overseas market. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.58 then fell further to 86.59 against the American currency, registering a decline of 4 paise over its previous close. On Wednesday, the rupee pared its initial losses and settled for the day on a positive note, higher by 2 paise to close at 86.55 against the US dollar. The US FED kept rates on hold but was hawkish in its outlook as it said rates would be held higher for longer and downplaying expectations for future rate cuts. "The US Federal Reserve's decision to hold rates at 4.25 per cent-4.50 per cent has further added to the rupee's woes. Despite pressure from former President Donald Trump for deeper cut
The rupee pared its initial losses and settled for the day on a positive note, higher by 1 paisa to close at 86.56 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday, supported by positive domestic markets, while a strong US dollar and a recovery in crude oil prices capped sharp gains. Forex traders said the US dollar gained on expectations of a no rate cut by the Fed in its Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision. Besides, global risk sentiments were dampened amid tariff threats by the US President Donald Trump, they said. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened on a weak note at 86.58, and during the day touched a high of 86.49 and a low of 86.61 against the American currency. The local unit settled on a positive note at 86.56 (provisional), registering a rise of 1 paisa over its previous close. On Tuesday, the rupee depreciated 26 paise to close at 86.57 against the US dollar. "We expect the rupee to trade with negative bias on underlying strength in the US doll
The rupee depreciated 4 paise to 86.61 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, due to sustained foreign fund outflows, unabated dollar demand from oil importers and weak risk appetite. Forex traders said the rupee continued to face pressure as investors are awaiting cues from the US FED meeting outcome. Besides, global risk sentiments were dampened amid tariff threats by the US President Donald Trump, they said. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.58 then fell further to 86.61 against the American currency, registering a decline of 4 paise over its previous close. On Tuesday, the rupee depreciated 26 paise to close at 86.57 against the US dollar. Forex traders said broad dollar demand, foreign fund outflows pressurised the rupee. However, a decline in crude oil prices cushioned the downside. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was at 107.83, lower by 0.03 per cent. Brent crude, the
The rupee depreciated 25 paise to close at 86.56 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, as global risk sentiments were dampened amid tariff threats by the US President Donald Trump. Forex traders said the rupee continued to face pressure due to sustained foreign fund outflows and the strength of the American currency in the overseas market amid unabated dollar demand from oil importers and weak risk appetite. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened on a weak note at 86.53, and during the day touched a high of 86.50 and a low of 86.57 against the American currency. The local unit settled for the day at 86.56 (provisional), registering a fall of 25 paise over its previous close. On Monday, the rupee depreciated 9 paise to close at 86.31 against the US dollar. "The Indian rupee declined as global risk sentiments were dampened amid tariff threats by the US President Donald Trump. This impacted the Chinese Yuan, which also led to strengthening of the US dollar," sa
The rupee depreciated 26 paise to 86.57 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday, due to unabated dollar demand from oil importers and weak risk appetite. Forex traders said the rupee continued to face pressure due to sustained foreign fund outflows and the strength of the American currency in the overseas market. Moreover, the upcoming Union Budget will play a crucial role in shaping market sentiment and the rupee's trajectory, as expectations are high for favourable measures aimed at rekindling foreign investments. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.53 then fell further to 86.57 against the American currency, registering a decline of 26 paise over its previous close. On Monday, the rupee depreciated 9 paise to close at 86.31 against the US dollar. The Indian rupee fell this morning as risk aversion was the name of the game, said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP. "FPIs continued their selling
The rupee depreciated 22 paise to 86.44 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by the strength of the American currency in the overseas market and a muted trend in domestic equities. Forex traders said the Indian rupee gained on Friday but opened on a lower note on Monday as Trump Tariffs uncertainty gained. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.35 then fell further to 86.44 against the American currency, registering a decline of 22 paise over its previous close. On Friday, the rupee appreciated 22 paise to close at 86.22 against the US dollar. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was at 107.67, higher by 0.21 per cent, after Trump threatened to apply 25 per cent Tariffs on Colombia after the plane carrying migrants was returned by the country. Meanwhile, the US has paused sanctions and tariffs on Colombia after it agreed to accept all the terms of President Donald Trump, ..
The dollar index was last down 0.67 per cent on the day at 107.42. It reached 110.17 on Jan. 13, the highest since November 2022
A weaker rupee is often seen as a boost for Indian exports by making goods more competitive globally, but the reality is more complex, the apex exporters' body FIEO said on Friday. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ashwani Kumar also said the recent depreciation of the domestic currency against the US Dollar represents a complex economic scenario with mixed outcomes. "A weaker rupee is not a one-size-fits-all solution to boost exports. A strategic, multi-pronged approach is needed to address the root causes of depreciation while mitigating its adverse effects," he said. Explaining it further, he said, that if the rupee depreciates by 2 per cent and the currencies of key competitors decline by 3-5 per cent, Indian exporters lose competitiveness in global markets. "This relative disadvantage erodes any potential price advantage Indian goods might gain," Kumar added. The domestic currency has depreciated over 4 per cent last year. The rupee closed at 86.22 .
The dollar/rupee forward premiums, meanwhile, extended declines this week, as the Reserve Bank of India conducted buy/sell swaps alongside its spot intervention
In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the falling value of the rupee against the US dollar, the Congress on Friday said the currency has fallen by 50 per cent in the last 10 years and it looks like the prime minister has made up his mind to make it hit a century. Addressing a press conference here with a magnifying glass in hand, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said she has brought it as she has lost track of how steeply the rupee has fallen and with that, the prime minister's dignity. "It was Mr Modi who said that along with the falling rupee, the prime minister's dignity and his office's grace also fall. I wonder what Prime Minister Modi has to say now," she said. "The rupee today is staring at 87 to a dollar, while he (Modi) was handed over the rupee at 58 to a dollar when he became the prime minister. The rupee has fallen by 29 against the dollar, which is a fall of 50 per cent in the last 10 years. It looks like he has made up his mind to make it hit
Rupee appreciated 18 paise to 86.26 against the US dollar in morning trade on Friday, supported by positive domestic equities and soft American currency index. Forex traders said weak crude oil prices and positive domestic markets supported the local unit, while sustained foreign fund outflows weighed on the local unit. Traders further noted that the upcoming Union Budget will play a crucial role in shaping market sentiment and the rupee's trajectory. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.31 and touched 86.26 against the US dollar, registering a rise of 18 paise from its previous close. The local unit also touched 86.33 against the US dollar initial trade. On Thursday, the rupee declined 9 paise to settle at 86.44 against the US dollar. The rupee has shown signs of resilience, appreciating over the past two trading sessions due to a weakening dollar. Moreover, on a positive note, upcoming inflows from fundraising activities by IREDA of USD 570 million are expec
Attributing the fall in Indian rupee solely to the US dollar getting stronger, former Reserve Bank governor Raghuram Rajan has said any intervention by the RBI on this can end up harming Indian exports even as he urged policymakers to focus on creating more jobs and boosting household consumption. Asked what the second term of US President Donald Trump means for the global and Indian economy, Rajan said, "I think it means uncertainty. President Trump during his campaign laid out a bunch of policies and measures that he wants to implement.". "We are seeing some of them being implemented. We have to see how intensely, for example the policy on immigration and trade and tariff proposals against whom and against which sectors are implemented. As of now what and how all this will pan out," the eminent economist said. On appreciation in the US dollar and its impact on other currencies especially in emerging markets including rupee, Rajan said the dollar has been appreciating against other
The rupee declined 5 paise to 86.40 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday amid a strengthening greenback. While a drop in crude oil rates and an upward trend in the domestic equity markets prevented further decline in the local currency, forex traders expected it to remain volatile throughout the day and trade in a wide range of 86.20-86.60. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.46, down 11 paise from its previous close, and dropped further to 86.52. However, it recovered some of its losses as the equity markets showed an upward trend to rise to 86.40, lower by 5 paise from Wednesday's close. The domestic currency had appreciated 23 paise to close at 86.35 against the US dollar on Wednesday. "Exporters may continue to wait with a stop loss at 86.25 since the rupee continues to remain in a weakening mode due to US dollar demand," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said. "The rupee, which gained
The rupee appreciated 25 paise to close at 86.33 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday, supported by positive domestic equities and soft US dollar index. Forex traders said the rupee is likely to witness high volatility with a negative bias ahead of key events in the global and domestic economic landscape. Moreover, the overall uncertainty about the global economy continued to weigh on both currencies and commodities, keeping investors on edge. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.56 against the greenback. During the day, the local unit touched an intraday high of 86.30 and a low of 86.71. It finally closed at 86.33 (provisional) against the US dollar, up 25 paise from its previous close. On Tuesday, the rupee fell 13 paise to 86.58 against the US dollar. "We expect the rupee to remain largely weak on underlying strength in the US dollar and overall weakness in the domestic markets. Importer demand for dollars may also pressurise the rupee. However
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) intervened in the foreign exchange market via dollar sales to avoid further depreciation of the rupee
While the local unit touched a peak of 86.2825 early in the session, it trimmed the gains on the back of broad-based dollar bids and a 0.5 per cent rise in the dollar index after it touched a two-week
Rupee appreciated 17 paise to 86.28 against the US dollar in morning trade on Tuesday, as the US dollar index and crude oil prices retreated from their elevated levels. Forex traders said the dollar weakened from its 109 levels but clawed back to 108.31 as Donald Trump declared tariffs against Canada and Mexico in the near future but stopped short of declaring any tariffs against China. While uncertainty eased slightly, concerns regarding tariffs still lingered in the background, as the traders began to adjust their expectations, betting that even if tariffs were imposed, they would likely be less aggressive, traders said. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.28, registering a rise of 17 paise from its previous close of 86.45 against the greenback. The local unit also touched 86.43 against the US dollar initial trade. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading lower by 0.94 per cent at ...
More changes likely in liquidity management framework