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Friday, May 1, 2026

01/05/26, The Indian rupee breached 95 again on Thursday, hitting a record intraday low of 95.33 amid a sharp surge in crude oil prices. However, it recovered due to the intervention from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through its dollar sales.

 Rupee closed at a fresh low of 94.92, down 7 paise from the previous close.

The currency faced intensified pressure this week from rising oil prices. During the week, the rupee declined 0.7%. The rupee fell 5.6% so far in 2026.

Oil prices surged as much as 7% to $126 per barrel intraday as US-Iran peace talks stalled, before recovering below $120 afterward.

The currency has fully surrendered all gains from the RBI's measures. The rupee breached 95 for the first time in late March but reversed to 92.58 level after the RBI imposed forex curbs.

Reflexive Trade

"…what we are witnessing is a textbook reflexive trade – rising oil prices triggering foreign institutional investors (FIIs) outflows and the outflows are compounding the dollar demand from oil importers, with the combination overwhelming whatever defence the RBI is putting up," said Anindya Banerjee, head of commodity and currency research, Kotak Securities.

He added that while the RBI is intervening and will continue to intervene, the central bank’s strategy here is volatility management, not level defence.

Road to 97

Currency traders said persistent foreign outflows also keep pushing the rupee lower. FPIs sold equities worth $ 20.2 billion so far in 2026 and this pressure will continue as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. Federal Reserve's hawkish tilt also added to the pressure on Thursday, dealers said.

"Both the current and capital accounts are in deficit, resulting in a significant combined shortfall. This leaves India’s balance of payments (BOP) in a severely negative position, with no room for rupee appreciation," said Madhavankutty G, chief economist, Canara Bank.

"The next important level we are watching is 96, and a sustained break above 96 opens the path to 97 – a level we see as achievable if Brent breaches $125 and the Hormuz situation deteriorates further," Banerjee added.

Report by FinancialExpress

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01/05/26, The Indian rupee breached 95 again on Thursday, hitting a record intraday low of 95.33 amid a sharp surge in crude oil prices. However, it recovered due to the intervention from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through its dollar sales.

 Rupee  closed at a fresh low of 94.92, down 7 paise from the previous close. The currency faced intensified pressure this week from rising ...