The Indian rupee crossed the big psychological mark of ₹90 per US dollar this week, making everything priced in dollars suddenly more expensive for Indian families.
In simple terms: if yesterday you needed ₹85 to buy one US dollar, today you need ₹90 (or more). That’s a jump of almost 6% in a short time, and it hurts immediately.
What changed and why?
Foreign investors pulled money out of Indian stocks, uncertainty over India–US trade talks grew, and the Reserve Bank of India chose not to fight too hard to defend the currency. The result? The USD to INR rate touched and stayed around 90 – a level traders were watching closely.
How it affects your daily budget
- Petrol, cooking gas and electricity
India imports most of its oil. When the rupee falls, oil companies pay more rupees for the same barrel of crude. Pump prices and LPG cylinder costs are likely to rise soon. - Phones, laptops, medicines and chocolates
Almost every gadget and many life-saving drugs are imported or use imported parts. Shops will quietly increase prices or give smaller festive discounts. - Loans and remittances
If your family sends dollars to children studying abroad, you now need thousands of extra rupees every month. Companies that borrowed in dollars are also feeling the pinch.
Biggest worry for students dreaming of foreign universities
Imagine your US or UK college fees were ₹30 lakh last year. The same dollar amount now costs ₹33–34 lakh or more – that’s an extra ₹3–4 lakh without the university hiking anything!
Counsellors say many middle-class families are now:
- Pre-paying one semester’s fees to lock today’s rate
- Loading forex cards in advance
- Applying for bigger scholarships
- Even shifting plans to Germany, Canada or Australia where costs may now feel cheaper in rupee terms
International vacations are getting pricier too – flight tickets, hotel bookings and shopping abroad just jumped 5–7% in rupee cost overnight.
What can you do right now?
For students and parents
- Pay upcoming semester fees early if possible
- Use forex cards or forward contracts to lock the rate
- Hunt harder for scholarships and education loans in rupees
For households
- Stock up on imported essentials (if prices are still old)
- Keep some savings in dollar-based mutual funds or export company stocks as a natural hedge
For holiday planners
- Book flights and hotels now before airlines re-price in rupees
- Use multi-currency cards to avoid bad bank rates
The good news? Indian IT companies, exporters and tourists coming to India love a weaker rupee. But for most Indian families, the new USD to INR reality above 90 means tighter budgets for the months ahead.
Stay updated – because every paisa move in USD to INR now matters more than ever.
