<h1>Rupee slips 7 paise to 88.77 on crude-driven pressure, foreign outflows, weak equities; forex reserves dip</h1> The rupee weakened 7 paise to 88.77 against the dollar in early trade, pressured by higher crude prices and sustained foreign capital outflows amid global trade uncertainty, with weak dollar dynamics providing limited support. Market declines in domestic equities also weighed on the currency. The dollar index eased slightly while Brent crude futures were near USD 64.97 per barrel. Benchmark indices fell modestly and foreign investors net sold equities worth about Rs 6,769 crore. Central bank data showed forex reserves fell by USD 6.925 billion to USD 695.355 billion for the week ended Oct 24. The Union government's fiscal deficit stood at 36.5% of the annual target at H1 FY26.