The Indian rupee should weaken on Thursday as investors keep off risky assets on doubts over the likelihood of substantial measures to rescue debt-laden euro zone countries at a summit over the weekend.
* Traders said likely dollar demand from oil firms and Gold' class='bD_15arlink' title='gold price'>gold importers would also weigh.
* At 0235 GMT, the MSCI index of Asian stocks ex-Japan was down 1.5 percent while the Nifty India stock futures traded in Singapore were 0.9 percent lower, suggesting a lower start to the local market.
* The euro inched lower on Thursday, hurt by nagging doubts over whether European leaders will take aggressive steps this weekend to ease the region's debt crisis.
* Plans to tackle the euro zone debt crisis have stalled, with Paris and Berlin at odds over how to increase the firepower of the region's bailout fund, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Wednesday, heightening concerns about how much progress could be made at a summit of European leaders on Sunday.
* The euro was trading at $1.3739, compared with $1.3840 when the rupee closed on Wednesday. The index of the dollar against six major currencies was at 77.165 points, above 76.705 points on Wednesday.
* Traders forecast the partially convertible rupee to open around 49.25 per dollar and move in a 49.20 to 49.40 range. It had ended 0.3 percent stronger on Wednesday at 49.15/16.
