In this article
A meeting invite that says “10 am” is useless until you say whose 10 am. This guide explains how India’s time relates to the rest of the world, why the gap with the US and UK changes twice a year when India’s own time never moves, and a four-step method that always gives the right answer.
The gap from India to other places
Subtract the other place’s offset from IST’s +5:30. If the answer is positive, India is ahead and you subtract that many hours to get their time. Offsets below are standard time first, then summer time where it exists.
| Place | Winter / standard offset | Summer offset | India compared with this place |
|---|---|---|---|
| India (IST) | UTC+5:30 | no change | — |
| London (GMT / BST) | UTC+0 | UTC+1 | ahead by 5:30 (winter), 4:30 (summer) |
| Paris, Berlin (CET / CEST) | UTC+1 | UTC+2 | ahead by 4:30 (winter), 3:30 (summer) |
| Dubai (GST) | UTC+4 | no change | ahead by 1:30, all year |
| Singapore (SGT) | UTC+8 | no change | behind by 2:30, all year |
| Tokyo (JST) | UTC+9 | no change | behind by 3:30, all year |
| Sydney (AEST / AEDT) | UTC+10 | UTC+11 | behind by 4:30 (Apr to Oct), 5:30 (Oct to Apr) |
| New York (EST / EDT) | UTC−5 | UTC−4 | ahead by 10:30 (winter), 9:30 (summer) |
| Los Angeles (PST / PDT) | UTC−8 | UTC−7 | ahead by 13:30 (winter), 12:30 (summer) |
Place names with two codes show the standard-time code first and the summer-time code second. “Ahead” means India’s clock shows a later time.
One morning in India, around the world
- Los Angeles9:30 pm, 21 OctStill summer time (PDT, UTC−7). The previous evening.
- New York12:30 am, 22 OctEDT, UTC−4. Just after midnight.
- London5:30 amBST, UTC+1, until 25 October 2026.
- Dubai8:30 amGST, UTC+4. No change all year.
- Singapore12:30 pmSGT, UTC+8.
- Tokyo1:30 pmJST, UTC+9.
- Sydney3:30 pmAEDT, UTC+11, summer time in Australia.
The same moment in time. The date is different in Los Angeles because it is still the previous day there.
Daylight saving in 2026: the dates that matter
Daylight saving time (DST) moves clocks forward in spring and back in autumn. The dates differ by region, so for a few weeks the gap between two countries is neither the summer nor the winter number.
| Region | Clocks go forward | Clocks go back |
|---|---|---|
| USA and Canada (most areas) | Sunday 8 March 2026 | Sunday 1 November 2026 |
| UK and EU | Sunday 29 March 2026 | Sunday 25 October 2026 |
| Australia (NSW, Victoria and others) | Sunday 4 October 2026 | Sunday 5 April 2026, and again in April 2027 |
| India, UAE, Singapore, Japan | No change | No change |
Between 25 October and 1 November 2026 the UK is on winter time while the US is still on summer time. The UK–New York gap is 4 hours that week instead of the usual 5.
The line drops from 10.5 to 9.5 when US clocks go forward on 8 March and returns to 10.5 on 1 November. India’s own time never changes.
A four-step method that always works
- 1Write the time with its zone21:00 IST.
- 2Subtract India’s offset to get UTC21:00 − 5:30 = 15:30 UTC.
- 3Add the other place’s offsetNew York in summer is UTC−4: 15:30 − 4:00 = 11:30.
- 4Check the date11:30 am on the same day. For 9:00 am IST the answer is 11:30 pm the day before.
Doing it through UTC means you never have to remember a pairwise gap. It also exposes DST, because the offset you add depends on the date.
Planning a meeting between India and the US
Working hours in India (9:30 am to 6:30 pm) and the US East Coast (9 am to 5 pm) barely overlap. The usable windows are the Indian evening and the American morning.
| Time in India | New York (summer, EDT) | New York (winter, EST) | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 pm | 9:00 am | 8:00 am | Early for the US in winter |
| 7:30 pm | 10:00 am | 9:00 am | Good for both |
| 8:30 pm | 11:00 am | 10:00 am | Good for both |
| 9:30 pm | 12:00 pm | 11:00 am | Late for India, fine for the US |
| 10:30 pm | 1:00 pm | 12:00 pm | Only if you are used to late calls |
Rotate the inconvenient slot between the two teams so one side does not take every late call.
Writing times so nobody gets confused
- Two zones, both written out
- ET covers both EST and EDT
- Add the date: Thu 5 Nov
- In summer the US East is on EDT, so “EST” is technically wrong
- No date, so the day is unclear
- Only one zone given
A calendar invite sent from your phone handles the conversion for each person. In plain text, always give two zones.
- Use ET, PT, CT for “Eastern, Pacific, Central” when you do not want to say whether it is standard or summer time.
- Add the weekday and date. “Tuesday 3 November” is checked faster than a bare time.
- For developers, store times in UTC and convert only for display. The Unix time guide explains the idea.
Questions people ask
What is the time difference between India and the USA?
For the US East Coast, India is 9½ hours ahead while US clocks are on summer time (March to November) and 10½ hours ahead in winter. For the West Coast it is 12½ and 13½ hours.
What is IST to EST?
IST is UTC+5:30 and EST is UTC−5, so IST is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of EST. In summer, New York uses EDT (UTC−4) and the gap becomes 9 hours 30 minutes.
Does India have daylight saving time?
No. India Standard Time stays at UTC+5:30 all year. India has not used daylight saving in recent decades.
What time is 9 am IST in New York?
In summer (EDT) it is 11:30 pm the previous day. In winter (EST) it is 10:30 pm the previous day.
What is UTC+5:30?
It is India Standard Time, 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Sri Lanka also uses UTC+5:30.
What is the time difference between India and Dubai?
Dubai is on UTC+4, so India is 1 hour 30 minutes ahead of Dubai all year round. Neither country changes its clocks.
When do the clocks change in 2026?
In the US and Canada on 8 March and 1 November. In the UK and EU on 29 March and 25 October. In much of Australia on 5 April and 4 October.
What is the best time for a meeting between India and the US?
Between about 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm in India, which is the morning in the US East Coast. Check the exact gap for the date because it changes by an hour when US clocks change.