Rupee gains 18 paise to 81.93 against US dollar in early trade

The rupee gained 18 paise to 81.93 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, 13 April following the American dollar's general decline in the foreign exchange market.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 81.99 against the dollar, then climbed to 81.93, registering a rise of 18 paise over its previous close.

The rupee last closed at 82.11 against the US currency on Wednesday, 13 April, registering a gain of 5 paise on its previous close. During the session, the rupee touched a high of 82.01 and a low of 82.11 against the dollar.

The dollar index, which compares the value of the dollar to other six currencies also, was last trading 0.04 per cent higher at 101.21. The index compares the dollar to the yen, the pound, the Canadian dollar, the Swedish krona, the Swiss franc, and the euro.

Meanwhile, Brent crude futures, the benchmark for all crude oil, decreased by 0.33 per cent to $87 a barrel. 

On the domestic equity market side, BSE Sensex was trading 17.61 points or 0.029 per cent lower at 60,375.02 points, while the broader NSE Nifty advanced merely 0.0073 per cent or 1.30 points at 17,813.70 points at 9.47 AM IST today.

On the domestic macroeconomic front, retail inflation in March fell to a 15-month low of 5.66 per cent and came back to the Reserve Bank's comfort level of 6 per cent. India's industrial production growth rose marginally to 5.6 per cent in February from 5.5 per cent in January 2023, mainly due to good performance of the power, mining and manufacturing sectors, according to official data released on Wednesday.