The rupee hit a record low of 81.5525 per dollar, down from 80.99 in the previous session.

The intervention by the RBI was confirmed to Reuters by four traders.

"The reason rupee is managing to cling on to 81.50 is the RBI," a private bank trader said. "But the supply of dollars by the RBI is getting easily absorbed."

(Reporting by Nimesh Vora; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)