The rupee appreciated 11 paise to 95.17 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, October 29, 2026, amid a slight easing of the American currency following the US Federal Reserve’s policy announcement.
The US Fed kept interest rates unchanged at 3.75%-4.00% as widely expected, but the market reaction turned mildly dollar-negative, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.20, then gained ground and touched 95.17, registering a rise of 11 paise over its previous close of 95.28 on Wednesday.
According to traders, elevated crude oil prices and firm US yields remain headwinds for the local unit, while foreign exchange reserves of around $721 billion, recent improvement in portfolio flows and the RBI’s presence provide support.”We therefore see a gradual upward bias in USD-INR within the range, rather than evidence of a disorderly move,” said Anindya Banerjee, head of commodity and currency research, Kotak NEO.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading lower by 0.04% at 102.15. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was down 1.03% at $114.13 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity front, Sensex rose 163.03 points to 73,409.06, while Nifty gained 40.40 points to 22,739.25. FIIs bought equities worth Rs 871.83 crore on a net basis on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
