Rupee rises 28 paise to 96.25 against US dollar in early trade

The Indian rupee strengthened by 28 paise to 96.25 against the US dollar in early trade, supported by a weaker dollar index (down 0.26% at 101.04) and a sharp decline in Brent crude (down 4.17% to USD 92.74/barrel) following easing US-Iran tensions. Domestic markets opened strong, with the Sensex up 613.80 points (0.81%) at 76,673.57 and the Nifty up 165.40 points (0.70%) at 23,931.55, though FIIs remained net sellers, offloading equities worth Rs 3,892.77 crore on Friday.