Overview: Time in India

India maintains a single time zone (IST, UTC+5:30) for its 1.4 billion people. The half-hour offset is unique globally among major countries. There have been proposals for a second time zone to cover the northeastern states.

Time Zone Breakdown

Zone NameUTC OffsetDST
ISTUTC+5:30No

Daylight Saving Time in India

India uses a single time zone with the unusual offset of UTC+5:30 — a half-hour offset that affects the entire subcontinent. No DST is observed.

Major Cities and Their Time Zones

The following cities in India have dedicated time pages with live clocks, UTC offset details, and DST information:

Frequently Asked Questions

How many time zones does India have?

India has 1 primary time zone(s): IST (UTC+5:30) — single national time zone. A single national time zone simplifies internal scheduling.

Does India observe Daylight Saving Time?

India uses a single time zone with the unusual offset of UTC+5:30 — a half-hour offset that affects the entire subcontinent. No DST is observed.

What time zone is the capital of India in?

The capital, New Delhi, uses the Asia/Kolkata timezone. You can see the live current time for the capital and other major cities via the city pages linked on this page.