India's rupee slides near its record low as the oil shock bites

Driven by the surge in oil prices from the Strait of Hormuz crisis and heightened regional tensions, India's rupee slid by mid-July 2026 close to its record low, in the region of about 95.5 rupees per dollar. India imports roughly 85 percent of the oil it consumes, and costlier crude has widened the trade deficit and lifted importers' dollar demand.

To slow the currency's decline, the Reserve Bank of India has repeatedly sold dollars in the spot and forward markets; on July 9, for example, dollar sales by state-run banks pulled the rupee back from about 95.55 to 95.49. The pressure on the rupee mirrors the same strain this oil surge places on the rial and other oil-importing nations' currencies.