On Friday, the Indian rupee hit a record low at 82.430 per $1 amid rising oil prices and growing concerns about the «hawkish» attitude of the US Federal Reserve. This week, the rupee lost almost 0.8%, which was the fourth week of losses in a row. The rise in oil prices to $95.50 per barrel has put the most pressure on the rupee this week, given India's status as the third largest importer of crude oil in the world. As you know, the country imports about 80% of its oil demand, which makes the rupee sensitive to any change in oil prices. Analysts note that oil has recently grown amid a strong reduction in supply from OPEC. It is possible that the oil market is expecting even greater volatility, as the United States is preparing retaliatory measures for this step. Additional pressure on the rupee is exerted by the growing corporate demand for the US dollar, especially among importers and for payments related to the defense sector. Moreover, the US currency is strengthening ahead of the release of important data on employment in the US non-agricultural sector (Non-Farm payrolls), which are due to be published a little later today. If the statistics come out stronger than expected, the Fed will have more opportunities for a sharp increase in interest rates, which will lead to a rise in the dollar and strengthen obstacles for other currencies.
