India Standard Time (IST) Explained: UTC+5:30, No DST
By WordTimezone · Updated October 7, 2026 · 3 min read
India Standard Time (IST) is UTC+5:30. It is the single official time for the whole of India — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai all show exactly the same time — and India does not use daylight saving time, so the offset never changes during the year. Sri Lanka uses the same UTC+5:30. This guide explains where the odd half hour comes from, how IST compares with major cities, and why “IST” can mean three different things.
Want the live clock? See the current time in India.
IST in five facts
- Offset: UTC+5:30 — five and a half hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time.
- IANA zone:
Asia/Kolkata, used for the whole country. - Daylight saving: none, so IST is the same in January and July.
- Reference meridian: 82.5°E, which passes near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. Since every 15° of longitude is one hour, 82.5° is exactly 5.5 hours from Greenwich.
- One country, one clock: India stretches about 29° of longitude (roughly two hours of solar time) but keeps a single official time.
IST compared with major cities
| City | India is … (January) | India is … (July) |
|---|---|---|
| UTC | 5 hours 30 minutes ahead | 5 hours 30 minutes ahead |
| London | 5 hours 30 minutes ahead | 4 hours 30 minutes ahead |
| Dubai | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead |
| Singapore | 2 hours 30 minutes behind | 2 hours 30 minutes behind |
| Tokyo | 3 hours 30 minutes behind | 3 hours 30 minutes behind |
| Sydney | 5 hours 30 minutes behind | 4 hours 30 minutes behind |
| New York | 10 hours 30 minutes ahead | 9 hours 30 minutes ahead |
| Los Angeles | 13 hours 30 minutes ahead | 12 hours 30 minutes ahead |
Because India never changes its clocks, the gap changes only when the other city does.
For the US, see IST to EST; for scheduling across the gap, read the India–US meeting guide.
The three meanings of “IST”
| IST stands for | UTC offset | Where |
|---|---|---|
| India Standard Time | UTC+5:30 | India (and Sri Lanka uses the same offset) |
| Irish Standard Time | UTC+1 (summer) | Ireland |
| Israel Standard Time | UTC+2 | Israel |
Always write “India time”, “IST (India)” or “UTC+5:30” when a message might reach people outside India — confusing them is a classic cause of missed calls.
How to convert IST
To get UTC from IST, subtract 5 hours 30 minutes: 3:00 PM IST is 9:30 AM UTC. To go from UTC to IST, add 5:30. For other zones, add or subtract the difference in the table above — or let the UTC to IST and IST to PST converters do it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the time zone of India?
India uses one time zone, India Standard Time (IST), UTC+5:30, IANA identifier Asia/Kolkata, for the whole country.
Does India have daylight saving time?
No. IST is UTC+5:30 all year, so the time difference with countries that do change their clocks moves by an hour twice a year.
Why is India’s time zone UTC+5:30?
India’s standard meridian is 82.5°E. Every 15° of longitude is one hour from Greenwich, so 82.5° corresponds to exactly 5 hours 30 minutes.
Which other countries use UTC+5:30?
Sri Lanka also uses UTC+5:30. Nepal (UTC+5:45) and Pakistan (UTC+5) are the neighbouring offsets.