GMT to IST
India is 5½ hours ahead of the UK in winter and 4½ hours ahead during British Summer Time: 9:00 AM in London is 2:30 PM in Delhi from late October to late March and 1:30 PM from late March to late October.
Convert the other way: IST → GMT
Britain and India, half a working day apart
People of Indian heritage are one of the largest communities in Britain, with strong roots in Leicester, Southall, Wembley and Birmingham, and the two countries signed a free trade agreement in July 2025. The time gap is friendly by long-haul standards. A London morning lines up with the Indian afternoon, so British firms can hold same-day calls with Indian partners between 9:00 AM and noon UK time without anyone working late.
For family calls, a UK evening at 6:00–7:00 PM is 10:30–11:30 PM in India in winter, which is late, while a Saturday 8:00 AM call in summer reaches India at 12:30 PM. Many families settle on UK mornings for weekend calls.
Test cricket and travel
Test matches in England start at 11:00 AM local time, which during the English summer is 3:30 PM in India, so an India tour of England fills Indian evenings until about 11:00 PM. When England tour India, play starts at 9:30 AM IST, which is 4:00 AM in the UK in winter.
A flight from Heathrow to Mumbai or Delhi takes around nine hours. An evening departure from London arrives in India the next morning, losing most of a night to the time difference. For the Indian side's view of the same pair, see IST to GMT.
Cities on these zones
GMT → IST quick reference
Every hour of the day, using today's offsets (daylight saving is applied automatically).
| GMT | IST |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 4:30 AM |
| 1:00 AM | 5:30 AM |
| 2:00 AM | 6:30 AM |
| 3:00 AM | 7:30 AM |
| 4:00 AM | 8:30 AM |
| 5:00 AM | 9:30 AM |
| 6:00 AM | 10:30 AM |
| 7:00 AM | 11:30 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 12:30 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 1:30 PM |
| 10:00 AM | 2:30 PM |
| 11:00 AM | 3:30 PM |
| GMT | IST |
|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | 4:30 PM |
| 1:00 PM | 5:30 PM |
| 2:00 PM | 6:30 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 7:30 PM |
| 4:00 PM | 8:30 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 9:30 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
| 7:00 PM | 11:30 PM |
| 8:00 PM | 12:30 AM+1 |
| 9:00 PM | 1:30 AM+1 |
| 10:00 PM | 2:30 AM+1 |
| 11:00 PM | 3:30 AM+1 |
- Difference right now
- IST 4.5 hours ahead of GMT
- Shared office hours
- 6 PM–10 PM GMT
- Daylight saving
- Only GMT shifts its clocks
Clock changes this year
- Mar 29, 2026GMT: clocks go forward, UTC+0 → UTC+1
- Oct 25, 2026GMT: clocks go back, UTC+1 → UTC+0
- —IST: no clock changes this year
Other conversions with these zones
Frequently asked questions
- What time is 9 AM UK time in India?
- 2:30 PM IST in winter and 1:30 PM IST during British Summer Time.
- What time does a Test match in England start in India?
- At 3:30 PM IST, because English Tests begin at 11:00 AM British Summer Time.
- What is a good time to call India from London on a weekday evening?
- Before about 6:00 PM UK time in summer (10:30 PM in India). In winter the same 6:00 PM is already 11:30 PM in India, so call earlier.
- Does India change its clocks when the UK does?
- No. India stays on UTC+5:30 all year; only the UK moves, on the last Sundays of March and October.
- Is the flight from London to India overnight?
- Usually. A nine-hour evening flight from London arrives in India early the next morning local time.