A selling rush in domestic stocks put further pressure on the Indian currency, forex traders said.
At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened at 90.94 and fell further to trade at 90.95 against the dollar in early deals, losing 27 paise against the previous closing level.
The rupee rose by 4 paise to reach 90.68 against the US dollar on Wednesday. The foreign exchange markets were closed on Thursday due to Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, traded 0.04 percent higher at 97.89.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was 0.14 percent higher at $71.77 per barrel in futures trading.
Analysts attributed strengthening dollar and crude oil prices to increased tension between the US and Iran, with both countries signaling they are prepared for war if talks over Tehran’s nuclear program fail.
In the domestic equity market, Sensex fell 150.35 points to 82,347.79 in early trade, while the Nifty fell 35.15 points to 25,419.20.
Foreign institutional investors offloaded shares worth ₹880.49 crore on Thursday, according to stock market data.
Published on February 20, 2026
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