Rupee rebounds from all-time low, up 7 paise to 92.14 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee rebounded from its all-time low in early trade on Tuesday, rising 7 paise to 92.14 as global oil prices fell after US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran may end soon.
A weaker greenback and a strong opening at the domestic equity markets further supported the local unit while heavy FII outflows capped sharp gains, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 91.92 but fell to 92.14, up 7 paise from its previous close.
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The rupee crashed to its all-time closing low of 92.21 against the US dollar on Monday, losing 39 paise during the session, as global crude oil prices saw a sharp spike, and the greenback strengthened.
"The rupee fell to its lowest (on Monday). But oil prices have since fallen after G-seven countries decided to utilise their strategic reserves to sell oil and bring prices down," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
"Later, Trump said the war could be over as soon as his goals have been accomplished. Later he also weighed on easing Russia sanctions and other measures to cool off oil prices. The Brent prices cooled off this morning in the Asian trade," he said, adding that the rupee is expected to move within a range of 91.50 to 92.10.
Meanwhile, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 4.69 per cent at USD 94.32 per barrel in futures trade as the war between US-Israel and Iran intensified.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.26 per cent lower at 98.92.
On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex rose 809.57 points to 78,375.73 in opening trade while Nifty climbed 252.75 points to 24,280.80.
Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 6,345.57 crore on a net basis on Monday, according to exchange data.
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Siddaramaiah seeks Centre's urgent intervention over commercial LPG cylinder shortage
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday sought the Centre's urgent intervention to ensure supply of adequate commercial LPG cyclinders to hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru.
He said hotels, restaurants and catering establishments in the city would be forced to suspend operations if supplies are not restored, affecting a large number of students and working professionals who depend on them for regular meals.
In his letter to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, he also requested him to issue appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints that would help ease the situation.
Referring to the March 9 order issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas prioritising LPG supply for domestic consumers, Siddaramaiah said while the intention behind the order to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to households across the country is well understood and appreciated, its implementation appears to have led to an unintended shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.
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He cited that several hotels and restaurant associations in the city have reported that they are unable to procure commercial LPG cylinders, and many establishments are expressing concern that they may have to temporarily shut operations if supplies are not restored soon.
Bengaluru has a large ecosystem of small restaurants, mess facilities, and catering units that serve lakhs of people every day.
According to him, as per the discussions held with the oil marketing companies, the state's commercial LPG demand has traditionally been supported by supplies from the three OMCs-IOCL (around 500-550 MT per day), HPCL (around 300 MT per day) and BPCL (around 230 MT per day) and the sudden disruption of this supply is now severely affecting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru.
Any disruption to their functioning will have a direct impact on daily life in the city, he said.
"This issue also affects a large number of students and working professionals who live away from their homes and depend on hotels and mess facilities for regular meals. In addition, Choultries (wedding halls), hostels, and event venues that rely on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, particularly with scheduled social and community events," the chief minister said in the letter.
Given the scale of dependence on commercial LPG in a metropolitan city like Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah sought the union minister's intervention to ensure that adequate commercial LPG supply is made available to hotels, restaurants, choultries, community halls and any other pure commercial establishments.
"Appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints would help ease the situation. A timely resolution will help ensure that businesses continue to operate smoothly while also avoiding inconvenience to thousands of people who rely on these services on a daily basis," he added.
