A nose-diving rupee is set to make a wide range of consumer products costlier, from white goods to smartphones and cars, as most companies will have no option but to pass on higher import costs to buyers. The rupee declined to 90.47 versus the US dollar on Thursday, surpassing its previous historic low of 90.42 recorded on December 4. The slide of more than 5.5% in 2025 has sharply raised the landed cost of dollar-denominated components, thus squeezing margins across consumer-focused sectors.

White goods makers, which depend on imported compressors, controllers and other key parts, are staring at an input cost rise. “Durables industry is getting affected by sustained currency depreciation as well as adverse commodity costs and scheduled energy regime changeover, which cumulatively will le

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