Rupee rebounds! Currency recovers on likely RBI intervention after opening at 91.07 vs US dollar; biggest single-day gain in 7 months

Rupee stayed under pressure on Wednesday, opening at a record low of 91.07 against the US dollar, down 0.05% from its previous close, before clawing back part of its losses, likely supported by intervention from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Reuters reported.

The central bank stepped in aggressively after the currency hit record lows for four straight sessions, triggering its strongest intraday recovery in about seven months. The rupee had been weighed down by sustained portfolio outflows and an ongoing stalemate in US–India trade talks.

After opening near 91.07, the rupee rebounded sharply, rising to an intraday high of 89.75 on the interbank order matching system from levels close to 91 seen before the intervention.



Market participants noted that Wednesday’s intervention mirrored RBI actions in October and November, when it stepped in on multiple occasions to curb one-way moves in the currency.

Earlier on Tuesday, the domestic currency breached the 91-per-dollar mark for the first time during intraday trade, touching an all-time low of 91.14 before recovering partially to close 15 paise weaker at 90.93. Traders said the decline came despite weakness in the US dollar and a sharp fall in global crude oil prices.

Rupee has been under sustained stress in recent sessions.

It slipped past the 90-per-dollar level on Monday and has hit fresh record lows for the third straight session, driven by concerns over a prolonged deadlock in India–US trade talks and persistent portfolio outflows.

Over the past 10 trading sessions, the currency has fallen from around 90 to 91 against the dollar, losing nearly 1% in just the last five sessions. Traders said the period was marked by strong dollar demand and a disconnect between the rupee and other Asian currencies, alongside growing interest in speculative short positions.

So far this year, the rupee is among the worst-performing global currencies, down about 6% against the greenback. A widening trade deficit, punitive 50% US tariffs and steady investment outflows have pushed the currency to record lows near the 91 level.