- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:28 05:46 12:20 15:47 18:49 20:07
Non-resident Indians (Indians) and foreigners will no longer be allowed to carry rupees when leaving India, according to new Reserve Bank of India rules.
The new guideline issued by India’s apex bank states passengers will be allowed to carry rupees only up to the duty-free shopping areas and to security checking areas in the departure hall at international airports to meet expenses.
Every NRI and foreigner leaving the country will have to compulsorily change rupees in their possession into a foreign currency before they board their flights.
Currently, NRIs are allowed to carry up to Rs10,000 out of the country.
Passengers who are carrying the currency before boarding the flight may now find Indian customs officials taking action against them. No information on penalties is stated.
NRIs here in Dubai say the new restriction is unwarranted and they should be allowed to carry some rupees.
“I travel every month to India and keep rupees to pay my cab fares from the airport to my hotel.
“Now, the only thing is I will have to buy rupees when I leave for India from Dubai so I don’t have to queue up at exchange counters at airports in India,” says Rohit Verma, who owns a steel trading firm in Dubai.
Earlier restrictions on NRIs have come in the form of a ban on duty-free import of flat screen (LCD/LED) plasma television sets with the government imposing a 36.05 per cent levy on these luxury entertainment commodities.
Travellers were previously allowed to bring a 32-inch or smaller TVs for personal use without paying any duty.
The Indian rupee, which emerged as the worst performer among its global peers with a fall of 8.7 per cent in August, was at 62.3975 to the US dollar as of 9:53 am on Monday.
The rupee fell to an average of 66.07 in August from 60.80 in the previous month against the US dollar, marking a drop of 8.7 per cent, the World Federation of Exchanges report said.
The rupee had hit a life-time low of 68.85 against the US dollar on August 28.
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