The Indian rupee weakened further on Friday, December 12, 2025, closing at a record low of 90.41 against the US dollar. It slipped 9 paise amid growing uncertainty over the India-US trade deal and continuous foreign fund outflows that hurt investor confidence. Forex traders said heavy dollar buying by importers, driven by rising global precious metal prices, added pressure on the rupee. At the interbank market, the rupee opened at 90.43 and fell to an intraday low of 90.56 before settling at 90.41. The previous day, the rupee had already dropped 38 paise to close at 90.32, its former record low. India and the US recently held two days of talks on trade issues, including negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement. On December 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed ways to maintain momentum in the economic partnership during a phone call. However, a deal has not yet been finalized, which weighs on the rupee. Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at MiraeAsset ShareKhan, said, "We expect the rupee to trade with a negative bias amid uncertainty over the India-US trade deal. However, improved global sentiments and falling crude oil prices may support the rupee. A weak dollar and any intervention by the central bank may also support the rupee at lower levels." The dollar index, which measures the dollar’s strength against six major currencies, was slightly up by 0.07% at 98.41. Brent crude oil futures rose 0.02% to $61.27 per barrel. On the domestic stock market, the Sensex gained 449.53 points to close at 85,267.66, while the Nifty jumped 148.40 points to 26,046.95. On Thursday, Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth ₹2,020.94 crore, further adding to pressure on the rupee.