The Indian Rupee is getting crushed by RBI
Live MintThe Reserve Bank of India’s efforts to support the flagging economy are turning out to be a bane for the rupee. Weakness in the rupee despite robust inflows is seen as a sign the central bank wants to curb a sharp appreciation in the currency that can hurt exports. “Higher reserves prove that the central bank is probably making determined efforts to keep the rupee’s competitiveness.” The RBI has said it does not target any particular level of exchange rate and steps in only to curb undue swings in the currency. Though, as the rupee was heading for its worst quarterly decline in a year in the three months ended September, Governor Shaktikanta Das said September 19 that the currency is fairly valued, indicating tolerance for a weaker rupee. The central bank will continue to soak up the inflows to address the rupee’s overvaluation, according to Kotak Securities Ltd. “When you have decent inflows, there is no reason for the rupee to depreciate and the RBI’s sharp dollar purchases are the predominant reason behind the weakness,” said Anindya Banerjee, a currency analyst at Kotak in Mumbai.