Rupee Weakens by 17 Paise to 49.67/Dollar

Mumbai: The rupee fell 17 paise to 49.67 against the U.S. dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market, following increased demand for the American currency from importers. However, a higher opening in the equity market capped the rupee's losses. Dealers said apart from dollar's gains against the euro, increased demand for the greenback from importers mainly weighed on the rupee sentiment. The domestic unit had ended lower by 35 paise at 49.50/51 against the American currency yesterday. The BSE benchmark Sensex rose 44.30 points or 0.25 percent to 17,875.05 in early trade.