Mumbai, Oct 27 (PTI) The rupee plunged 36 paise to close at 88.19 against the US dollar on Monday, as broad strength in crude oil prices and month-end dollar demand from importers weighed on investor sentiment.

Forex traders said the rally in crude oil prices was mainly driven by a potential US-China trade deal, which supports expectations for a stronger global oil demand.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 87.87 against the greenback and fell to an intra-day low of 88.31 and a high of 87.86. It finally closed the day at 88.19, down 36 paise from its previous close.

On Friday, the rupee appreciated 5 paise to close at 87.83 against the US dollar.

Traders continue to watch developments around trade negotiations and geopolitical events for further cues.

"We expect the rupee to trade with a positive bias on improved domestic market sentiments amid optimism over the trade deal and strong domestic equities. Easing geopolitical tensions may also support the rupee.

"However, month-end dollar demand from importers and a surge in global crude oil prices may cap sharp upside. USDINR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 87.80 to 88.50," said Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Currency and Commodities, Mirae Asset ShareKhan.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.08 per cent lower at 98.86.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.85 per cent lower at USD 65.39 per barrel in futures trading.

On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex jumped 566.96 points to settle at 84,778.84, while the Nifty climbed 170.90 points to 25,966.05.

Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 55.58 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.

Meanwhile, India's forex reserves increased by USD 4.496 billion to USD 702.28 billion during the week ended October 17, as the value of gold reserves rose further, the RBI said on Friday.

In the previous week, the overall reserves had jumped by USD 2.176 billion to USD 697.784 billion. PTI DRR ANU BAL

Exchange rate volatility driven by crude oil and importer dollar demand affects foreign exchange management and compliance. The rupee's depreciation is attributed to rising crude oil prices and month end importer dollar demand, interacting with dollar index movements and domestic equity performance; RBI reported reserve increases, partly from gold valuation, affect policy space. Market participants should consider these drivers when managing foreign currency exposure and ensuring compliance with exchange control reporting and FEMA related obligations, as crude, trade developments, and import settlement patterns materially influence exchange rate volatility and supervisory monitoring.