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India Timezone Guide

One zone, no clock changes, and a half-hour offset that trips up the rest of the world.

5 min read

India runs entirely on India Standard Time (IST), UTC+5:30 — from Mumbai to Kolkata, Delhi to Chennai, one clock covers the whole country. There is no daylight saving, so IST never moves.

IST vs Major World Cities

Cityvs IST (winter)vs IST (their summer)
New York-10:30-9:30
London-5:30-4:30
Dubai-1:30-1:30
Singapore+2:30+2:30
Tokyo+3:30+3:30
Sydney+4:30+5:30

Every shift in these gaps comes from the other country’s daylight saving — India never changes.

Best Call Windows

From the US: India’s evening (6–8 PM IST) matches US East Coast morning — the classic overlap. From the UK/EU: India’s afternoon overlaps Europe’s morning generously. From Singapore/Japan/Australia: India’s morning matches their midday.

Why the Half Hour, and Why One Zone?

IST is based on the 82.5°E meridian — the midpoint of a country spanning two hours of solar time. We cover the history in Why is India 30 minutes off? and the single-zone debate in Why does India have one timezone?

Live clock, sunrise times, and city comparisons: Time in India.

Time in India → EST to IST → London to India → US–India Planner →

Frequently Asked Questions

What timezone is India in?

India Standard Time (IST), UTC+5:30, covering the entire country year-round with no daylight saving.

What is the time difference between India and the USA?

It depends on the US zone and season: 9:30–10:30 hours behind IST for the East Coast, up to 12:30–13:30 for the West Coast.

Is India ahead of or behind London?

Ahead — by 5 hours 30 minutes when London is on GMT (winter) and 4 hours 30 minutes during British Summer Time.