The rupee on Monday opened 20 paise higher at 69.50 against the US dollar as crude oil prices slipped to multi-month lows on global recession fears. The domestic unit on Friday snapped its three-session losing streak to settle 17 paise higher at 69.70.
On Friday, data showed India’s economy grew at a slowest pace in more than four years at 5.8 per cent in the last quarter thereby raising prospects of a rate cut in the RBI scheduled this week. For the fiscal year that ended March 31st showed the economy grew at 6.8 per cent compared to estimates of 7 per cent.
Government spending, however, rose 13.1 per cent in the March quarter from 6.5 per cent ahead of the April-May elections, widening the fiscal deficit in the last financial year.
