logo
Sharp recovery in INR supported by deep decline in oil prices; dollar pullback

Sharp recovery in INR supported by deep decline in oil prices; dollar pullback

The Indian rupee witnessed a sharp rebound against the dollar in opening trades on Tuesday tracking a pullback in dollar and deep decline in international crude oil prices. WTI crude oil futures are down around 2.5% in early Asia on Tuesday following a sharp plunge by over 7% in the previous session as President Trumps announced that a ceasefire has been agreed upon between Iran and Israel. Meanwhile, dollar dropped from a 3-week high after Fed Governor Bowman and Chicago Fed President Goolsbee said they favored a Fed rate cut at next months FOMC meeting. INR opened at Rs 86.07 per dollar but pared gains to be currently quoting at 86.11.
Yesterday, rupee plunged 23 paise to close at a five-month low of 86.78 against the US dollar amid a strengthening dollar and volatile crude oil prices following the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. A sharp decline in the domestic equity markets further pressured the rupee. Indian shares fell on Monday, but ended off their day's lows as markets apparently took the U.S. strikes against nuclear targets in Iran in their stride and waited to see how Iran reacts and what happens to Tehran's nuclear program. The benchmark 30-share BSE Sensex hit an intraday low of 81,476.76 before closing down 511.38 points, or 0.62 percent, at 81,896.79. The broader NSE Nifty index ended down 140.50 points, or 0.56 percent, at 24,971.90, after having hit a low of 24,824.85 earlier. On the NSE, USDINR futures ended higher by 0.14% at 86.78.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

In charts: Why West Asia is important for India beyond trade
In charts: Why West Asia is important for India beyond trade

Mint

time16 minutes ago

  • Mint

In charts: Why West Asia is important for India beyond trade

Tensions in West Asia remain high following the Israel-Iran conflict, putting India's interests in the region at risk. The crisis threatens India's oil imports and overall trade, but its implications go beyond economics. Stability in West Asia matters to India as many Indians study, work, and send money back home from the region. The escalation of the conflict, leading to the temporary airspace closure in four nations—the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait—on Monday, makes the situation tense for India and Indians in the region. The evacuation of over 2,000 Indian nationals from Iran and Israel under 'Operation Sindhu" has reinforced the gravity of India's stake in the stability of the region. Several of these were students. While the share of overseas Indians in Israel (0.30%) and Iran (0.03%) is minuscule, West Asian nations together account for over 25% of the 35 million in total, data from the ministry of external affairs showed. There is no formal definition of West Asia (or Middle East as popular in Western countries), but it broadly covers Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the UAE and Yemen. Also Read: Mint Explainer | Strait of Hormuz: Will Iran shut the vital oil artery of the world? The region has also seen interest among a few Indians looking to pursue education abroad. In 2024, nearly 11,000 students were in West Asian nations for studies, data shared by the education ministry in Lok Sabha showed. Though this constitutes only about 1.3% of 760,000 students studying abroad, the UAE, Iran and Israel are among the top choices. Deep ties Millions of Indians, primarily employed in blue-collar jobs, in West Asian countries, fuel the economic engine in the region as well as in India. The largest number in the region is in the UAE, hosting 3.6 million Indians. This is followed by Saudi Arabia (2.5 million). Smaller yet significant Indian communities exist in Kuwait (1 million) and Qatar (0.8 million), and Oman (0.7 million). In recent years, the region, particularly the UAE, has also become a magnet for high-skilled Indian professionals due to tax-free salaries, zero capital gains tax, and a Golden Visa program that offers residency of up to 10 years to people in select fields. In terms of studies, the UAE is popular as several international universities have campuses and colleges in the country. Iran, the second favourite destination, is generally preferred for medical studies and engineering. Also Read: Israel-Iran conflict: Echoes of history haunt West Asia The conflict between Israel and Iran could destabilise the region upon escalation. This can impact many Indians residing in the region or disrupt plans of those who are planning to go there. The experience with the Russia-Ukraine war offers some context: the number of Indians pursuing studies in Ukraine slumped to 252 in 2024 from around 2,200 in might As one in four overseas Indians resides in West Asian countries, India gains significantly from inward remittances. India's remittances touched $118 billion in 2023-24, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India. These remittances help in financing a part of India's trade deficit and offer a cushion during the period of external shocks. Also Read: High-value, white-collar inflows have led a shift in India's inward remittances While the biggest share came from the US, the West Asian nations together accounted for a 38% share, or $45 billion. The UAE contributed 19.2%, followed by Saudi Arabia (6.7%) and Kuwait (3.9%). The two nations locked in the conflict, Israel and Iran, are not among the major sources of inward remittances for India. However, if the conflict spreads—as witnessed on Monday after Iran targeted the US army bases in Qatar and Iraq—it could lead to disruptions in other West Asian nations where India does have deep human resource and monetary connections.

Missiles Over Qatar: For Indians, a Night of Panic in Doha; Questions Over Flight Delays
Missiles Over Qatar: For Indians, a Night of Panic in Doha; Questions Over Flight Delays

The Wire

time17 minutes ago

  • The Wire

Missiles Over Qatar: For Indians, a Night of Panic in Doha; Questions Over Flight Delays

The attack on the Al-Udeid air base has affected flight operations to Qatar including connecting flights to other countries via Qatar. A video screengrab showing passengers queuing at the Doha airport for transfers. Photo: X/@TheKiffness. Jalandhar: The Indian expat community in Qatar, which is one of the major workforces in the natural gas-rich country suffered a night of panic following Iran's attack on the US military base of Al-Udeid on Monday, June 23. Explosions were heard across Doha while videos of missiles being launched towards the Al-Udeid air base, the largest US military base in the West Asia were shared across Qatar. Major news outlets also published similar videos. There are 836,784 Indians, including persons of Indian origin, in Qatar, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Indians whom The Wire spoke to said that they rushed to the ground floor from their flats, offices, and commercial establishments immediately as it became clear that missiles had been launched. 'At around 8 pm (Qatar time), we heard explosions. Before we could understand anything or speak to each other, everybody started rushing out of their flats. We heard people shouting in panic and rushed from our flat situated on the fourth floor to the ground floor and to the parks to save ourselves. People remained glued to their mobile phones for major updates and spoke to their loved ones," said a logistics manager at a construction company who requested not to be named. The logistics manager is originally from Punjab. The manager's house, Al Ghanim was situated 30 kilometres from the Al-Udeid air base. 'While there was no immediate blackout or suspension of internet services, people spent the entire night in fear of escalation of war in this region. We could see the missiles clearly in the sky. The Qatar police too remained on high alert and were roaming the highways, alerting people to stay safe," he added. Labourers at construction sites, who begin work after 3.30 pm in Qatar because of heat stress as per the orders of the Ministry of Labour in summers, were also immediately sent back home by their employers. A group of Indian and Nepali workers employed at various commercial establishments at the Doha city centre, which houses business centres, homes and shopping malls also spoke of a night of anxiety. A man from Kerala, working at the Lusail International Circuit – a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha – also told The Wire, 'People had either returned home from work or were going back home when they sighted missiles, forcing them to huddle wherever they could find safe space. Initially nobody understood anything and then it was commotion everywhere.' Many Indians primarily from Punjab, Kashmir, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh work as engineers, project managers, and labourers in the construction, oil and natural gas projects and steel plants in Qatar. Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Azerbaijan, Turkey, UK, Canada, and the US also have citizens living and working in Qatar in significant numbers. Flights Meanwhile, the attack on Al-Udeid air base also affected flight operations to Qatar including the connecting flights to other countries via Qatar. An Air India flight to Qatar which took off at around 9.30 pm from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi on June 23 was re-routed to Delhi following the missile attack. Similarly, other scheduled flights to Qatar from Delhi which were initially delayed were later cancelled following Iran's missile attack on Al-Udeid air base leaving passengers stranded at the airport for the entire night. 'My flight was at 4 am on June 24, 2025 from IGI Delhi but was cancelled within seconds of Iran's attack on the US air base in Qatar. There was total chaos at the airport. People were left scrambling for flight refunds and updates about later flights to Qatar," Jagtar Singh, who was yet to get information about the next flight, told The Wire. The Embassy of India at Doha in its post on X in the wee hours of June 24, 2025 shared: "Qatar Airways confirms reinstatement of flights as airspace reopens in the State of Qatar. Our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly. We've deployed extra ground staff at Hamad International Airport to support you as we resume operations. Please check or our app before you travel." However, till the filing of this report on June 24, no flight bookings were possible. Stuck at the airport, most of the passengers were either still waiting at the airport for flight operations to resume or had moved to nearby hotels. Earlier on the night of June 23, following the missile attack, the Indian Embassy at Doha had issued a statement that the Indian community in Qatar may note that Qatar's Ministry of Interior has affirmed that the security situation in the country is stable and that there is no cause for concern. "Please follow the advice and guidance of local authorities. Our Embassy will open tomorrow for its services as usual," the embassy said on X. In a statement issued on June 23 night, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association stated that amid Iran's attack on the US air base, a flight evacuating over 270 Indian students, most of them from Kashmir, from Mashhad airport in Iran to Delhi was also delayed. The flight was originally scheduled to arrive at Delhi Airport at 1 am on June 24. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store