On Thursday morning, the Indian rupee dropped by 4 paise to reach 83.48 (Dh22.74) against the US dollar, influenced by a strong American currency and rising crude oil prices internationally. Despite continuous foreign capital inflows, the currency's decline was exacerbated by a lackluster performance in the domestic stock markets, according to forex dealers. The rupee started at 83.43 in the interbank foreign exchange market and further declined to 83.48 versus the dollar, marking a 4 paise decrease from its prior closing. Simultaneously, the dollar index, measuring the greenback's value against six major currencies, rose by 0.02% to 104.90. Brent crude futures, the worldwide oil standard, edged up by 0.02% to $85.09 per barrel. Asian equities paused near a two-year peak as investors awaited further U.S. policy indications, while the British pound steadied ahead of a Bank of England meeting where rates are anticipated to stay steady. Additionally, central bank decisions from Switzerland and Norway will be closely watched to gauge the global interest rate outlook. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan remained nearly unchanged at 572.42, slightly below Wednesday's two-year high of 573.38, driven by tech stocks, and is set for a 4% increase in June.