The Indian rupee fell to a record low of 94.90 against the US dollar on Thursday, touching an intraday low of 95.33 before recovering. The Reserve Bank of India stepped in to sell dollars, which helped pull the currency back from its worst levels. The RBI appears focused on defending the 95-per-dollar level as a key threshold. The rupee's slide comes as crude oil prices crossed $125 per barrel, a significant pressure point for India, which imports roughly 85% of its oil needs. Higher oil prices widen the current account deficit, the gap between what India earns and spends in foreign exchange, and add to import costs across the economy. RBI intervention provides short-term support but draws down foreign exchange reserves. If oil stays elevated, the pressure on the rupee is likely to persist. Watch whether the RBI can hold the 95 level and how sustained crude prices above $125 affect inflation and the trade balance in the weeks ahead.
Indian startups raised $5.2 billion across 501 deals in H1 2026, down 9% in value but up 7% in deal count year-on-year, per the Inc42 Indian Tech Startup Funding Report. The drop is driven by fewer mega-rounds, while AI funding surged 317% and growth-stage deal activity hit a multi-year high.
The BSE Sensex fell 893 points and the Nifty 50 shed 279 points on June 30, 2026, wiping out roughly Rs 6 lakh crore in investor wealth in a single session. Both indices dropped 1.16%, closing at 76,200.68 and 23,824.10 respectively.
Kotak Mahindra Bank shares fell nearly 3% to Rs 397.6 after CEO Ashok Vaswani announced plans to exit the bank. Investor concern now centres on succession timing and whether the bank's ongoing digital and deposit-growth strategy will stay on track.
South Korea's Kospi dropped 3% at Monday's open while Japan's Nikkei fell 1%, as escalating US-Iran conflict triggered a broad risk-off move across Asian markets. South Korea's heavy reliance on Middle East oil imports makes it especially vulnerable to geopolitical shocks of this kind.
