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The Indian rupee weakened against the US dollar as investors brace for the RBI’s monetary policy decision and monitor escalating tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff
Key Points
- The Indian rupee depreciated due to investor concerns over geopolitical tensions and the upcoming RBI monetary policy review.
- Unabated withdrawal of foreign capital, a strong US dollar, and rising crude oil prices contributed to the rupee’s decline.
- Market participants are closely watching developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the RBI’s monetary policy decision.
- The RBI has implemented measures to curb speculative positions in the rupee market.
- Domestic equity markets showed positive trends, with Sensex and Nifty both experiencing gains.
The rupee depreciated 10 paise to close at 93.00 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, as investors remained on edge ahead of US President Donald Trump’s deadline for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the Reserve Bank’s monetary policy review.
Forex traders said the USD/INR pair is trading under pressure, dragged down by unabated withdrawal of foreign capital, a firm dollar, and higher crude oil prices amid a volatile geopolitical situation.
Moreover, market participants will remain watchful of evolving geopolitical headlines and the upcoming RBI monetary policy decision.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 93.05 against the US dollar, then lost ground to trade at 93.07, registering a fall of 17 paise from its previous close. During the day, the rupee also touched an intraday high of 92.86 against the greenback.
At the end of Tuesday’s trading session, the rupee was quoted at 93.00 (provisional), down 10 paise from its previous close.
On Monday, the rupee gained 28 paise to close at 92.90 against the US dollar on Monday, following the Reserve Bank’s measures to curb speculative fervour and dampen volatility in the Indian currency.
The RBI has tightened its rules to curb speculative positions and capped banks’ net open positions at USD 100 million.
RBI Monetary Policy and Market Impact
Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank’s rate-setting panel on Monday started its three-day brainstorming session on the first bi-monthly monetary policy of the fiscal year. The decision of the six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra, will be announced on Wednesday.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was down 0.15 per cent at 99.83.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 1.97 per cent at USD 107.61 per barrel in futures trade.
Equity Market Performance
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 509.73 points to settle at 74,616.58, while the Nifty climbed 155.40 points to 23,123.65.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 8,167.17 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
Geopolitical Concerns
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s deadline for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz expires today, with Iran still not relenting on the ceasefire proposal.
