Rupee gains 18 paise to 82.17 against U.S. dollar

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 82.20 against the dollar

The rupee rose 18 paise to 82.17 against the U.S. dollar in early trade on January 10 on easing crude oil prices.

Forex traders said sustained foreign fund outflows and a weak trend in domestic equities weighed on investor sentiments and restricted the appreciation bias.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 82.20 against the dollar, then gained ground to touch 82.17, registering a rise of 18 paise over its previous close.

On Monday, the rupee settled at 82.35 against the U.S. dollar.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.21% to 103.21.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.49% to $79.26 per barrel.

In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 353.74 points or 0.58% lower at 60,393.57 points. The broader NSE Nifty fell 82.55 points or 0.46% to 18,018.65 points.