Rupee pared initial gains and settled for the day on a negative note, lower by 10 paise at 87.57 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, as it came under pressure due to continued dollar demand from importers.
Forex traders said the rupee pared initial gains on positive crude oil prices, dollar demand from importers and foreign fund outflows.
Moreover, there is an overall negative bias amid uncertainties over the trade tariff issue between India and the US.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 87.48 and moved in a range of 87.39 to 87.67 during the day before settling at 87.57 (provisional), lower by 10 paise from its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee appreciated 16 paise to close at 87.47 against the US dollar.
According to forex traders, investors are in a wait-and-watch mode ahead of the US-Russia talks on August 15.
Meanwhile, Brent crude prices rose 0.49 per cent to $65.95 per barrel in futures trade as it regained ground after falling much more in the previous session, with the upcoming US-Russia talks raising risk premiums in the market.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.02 per cent to 97.82.
In the domestic equity market, Sensex climbed 57.75 points to settle at 80,597.66, while the Nifty closed 11.95 points up at 24,631.30.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth ₹3,644.43 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
On the domestic macroeconomic front, S&P on Thursday upgraded India’s sovereign credit rating to ‘BBB’ with a stable outlook after a gap of nearly 19 years, citing robust economic growth, political commitment for fiscal consolidation and ‘conducive’ monetary policy to check inflation.
The impact of US tariffs on the Indian economy will be “manageable,” S&P said, adding that a 50 per cent tariff on US exports (if imposed) will not pose a “material drag” on growth.
“India is relatively less reliant on trade and about 60 per cent of its economic growth stems from domestic consumption,” it said.
The rating upgrade by a US-based agency comes days after American President Donald Trump dubbed India as a “dead economy.” Trump has imposed the highest 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods with effect from August 27.
Also, the rating upgrade will help lower borrowing cost of Indian companies in international markets.
Published on August 14, 2025
