Summary of this article
Rupee falls fourth straight session amid global geopolitical tensions
Strong dollar and foreign outflows pressure domestic currency
Equity weakness and risk aversion weigh on investor sentiment
The Indian rupee stayed weak for the fourth straight session and closed 10 paise lower at 90.30 against the US dollar on Monday, as a surge in geopolitical uncertainty has bolstered the greenback's appeal.
Forex traders said that renewed geopolitical uncertainties after the US military intervention in Venezuela fuelled dollar demand worldwide, while a sluggish domestic stock market, triggered by an exodus of foreign capital dented investor sentiments further.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.21 and touched the intra-day low of 90.50 during the session before ending at 90.30 against the greenback, 10 paise weaker compared to the previous closing level.
This was the fourth consecutive day of fall for the Indian currency, which has lost 55 paise since December 30, 2025, when it closed at 89.75 a dollar.
The rupee settled 22 paise lower at 90.20 against the US dollar on Friday, a day after losing 10 paise on Thursday. It had lost 13 paise on the last day of the previous calendar year.
"The Indian rupee has endured a persistent downward spiral, losing ground in nine out of the past ten trading sessions. This weakness is primarily fuelled by ambiguity surrounding bilateral trade agreements between Washington and New Delhi, alongside a sluggish domestic stock market triggered by an exodus of foreign capital," Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities, said.
Furthermore, a surge in geopolitical uncertainty has bolstered the greenback's appeal. This flight to safety followed the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by American military personnel over the weekend, Parmar added.
In the coming days, the USDINR spot pair faces resistance near 90.45, while downward movement is expected to find support around 89.90, he said.
The US has carried out a military operation in Venezuela and deposed President Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump said the US would "run" the South American country and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.27 per cent higher at 98.68.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.91 per cent higher at USD 61.30 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 322.39 points or 0.38 per cent to close at 85,439.62, while the Nifty fell 78.25 points or 0.30 per cent to 26,250.30.
Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 36.25 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
The latest RBI data released on Friday showed India's forex reserves jumped by USD 3.293 billion to USD 696.61 billion in the week to December 26.
The overall kitty had increased by USD 4.368 billion to USD 693.318 billion in the previous reporting week.
