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DateAlmanac

What is IST in CST?

Central Time is 11 hours 30 minutes behind

India Standard Time is on UTC+5:30 and Central Time is on UTC−6:00 right now. The gap changes during the year — see below.

Convert a time

CST — Central Time

1:30 am

CST, Sat

Time in New Delhi
1:58:55 PM
Time in Chicago
2:28:55 AM
Difference
−11:30 h
Next clock change
March 14, 2027

When the difference changes

India Standard Time and Central Time do not change their clocks on the same dates, so the gap between them is not the same all year. Most converters show only today’s figure. These are the periods ahead:

  1. Now – March 14, 2027Central Time is 11 hours 30 minutes behind
  2. March 14, 2027 – November 7, 2027Central Time is 10 hours 30 minutes behind
  3. November 7, 2027 – onwardsCentral Time is 11 hours 30 minutes behind

Periods shorter than a day are not listed. Each zone changes at its own local time, so on a date when both move there are a few hours when the gap is briefly something else.

Daylight saving

India Standard Time

No clock changes

India Standard Time stays on IST all year, so its offset from UTC never moves.

Central Time

Sunday, March 14, 2027

Clocks go forward one hour — 2:00 am becomes 3:00 am local time, and the zone is on CDT after that.

IST to CST conversion table

Every hour of Saturday, November 7, 2026, converted from India Standard Time to Central Time. 12 of the 24 hours fall on a different calendar day in Chicago, which is marked.

12:00 am IST
12:30 pm CST−1 day
1:00 am IST
1:30 pm CST−1 day
2:00 am IST
2:30 pm CST−1 day
3:00 am IST
3:30 pm CST−1 day
4:00 am IST
4:30 pm CST−1 day
5:00 am IST
5:30 pm CST−1 day
6:00 am IST
6:30 pm CST−1 day
7:00 am IST
7:30 pm CST−1 day
8:00 am IST
8:30 pm CST−1 day
9:00 am IST
9:30 pm CST−1 day
10:00 am IST
10:30 pm CST−1 day
11:00 am IST
11:30 pm CST−1 day
12:00 pm IST
12:30 am CST
1:00 pm IST
1:30 am CST
2:00 pm IST
2:30 am CST
3:00 pm IST
3:30 am CST
4:00 pm IST
4:30 am CST
5:00 pm IST
5:30 am CST
6:00 pm IST
6:30 am CST
7:00 pm IST
7:30 am CST
8:00 pm IST
8:30 am CST
9:00 pm IST
9:30 am CST
10:00 pm IST
10:30 am CST
11:00 pm IST
11:30 am CST

Scheduling between the two

There is no overlap between a nine-to-six working day in New Delhi and one in Chicago — the gap is too wide. A call has to sit early or late for one side. Early morning in New Delhi is the usual compromise, since that is late afternoon or evening in Chicago.

A note on IST: it can also mean Israel Standard Time (UTC+2) and Irish Standard Time (UTC+1). This page means India Standard Time, which is what almost all searches for IST want.

A note on CST: it can also mean China Standard Time (UTC+8) and Cuba Standard Time (UTC−5). This page means US Central Time.

India Standard Time (IST) is used in all of India and Sri Lanka, on a single UTC+5:30 offset with no daylight saving

Central Time (CST) is used in Dallas, Houston, Mexico City and Winnipeg

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