"The rupee is now at its real value," he told reporters. He, however, cautioned that "there should be no exuberance''. Extending its rising streak for the fourth straight day, the rupee appreciated by 51 paise to nearly four-month high of 60.90 against the dollar in early trade today on sales of the US currency by banks and exporters and sustained foreign capital inflows.

Besides, a higher opening in the domestic equity market, where the Sensex soared to an all-time high of 21,483.74 points after BJP's victory in state Assembly elections and strengthening of other currencies against the dollar overseas, also supported the local currency, forex dealers said.

The rupee had touched a life-time low of 68.85 against the dollar in the last week of August after the US Federal Reserve started discussions on tapering its fiscal stimulus.

A record current account deficit (CAD) on the back of high gold imports too was pressurising the rupee value.

However, there has been significant improvement on CAD as it narrowed to $5.2 billion or 1.2 per cent of GDP in the second quarter of the current fiscal. The deficit was at $21 billion or 5 per cent of GDP in the same period of last year.

PTI