IST to CST Time Converter
Convert India Standard Time to Central Time (US). Right now, IST is 10h 30m ahead of CST.
Time Zone Converter
Click any hour to see what it lands on in every city. The first row's hours run 12am to 11pm — every other row is its local time at the same instant.
When it's this time in Delhi:
| Delhi | Chicago |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 7:30 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 10:30 PM |
| 12:00 PM | 1:30 AM |
| 3:00 PM | 4:30 AM |
| 6:00 PM | 7:30 AM |
| 9:00 PM | 10:30 AM |
About IST and CST
IST (India Standard Time) covers India and is anchored to the IANA zone Asia/Kolkata. It does not observe daylight saving time — the offset stays fixed all year.
CST (Central Time (US)) covers USA and Mexico via America/Chicago. It observes daylight saving time, so the gap between these two zones shifts twice a year.
Because at least one of these zones uses DST, the time difference between IST and CST is not constant — it shifts by an hour during the spring and autumn DST transitions. The hour grid below recomputes the difference for any specific date you click, using the IANA rules baked into your browser.
FAQ
- How many hours difference between IST and CST?
- Right now, IST is 10h 30m ahead of CST. Because at least one of these zones observes daylight saving time, the gap shifts by an hour twice a year (spring and autumn). The hour grid above recomputes correctly for any specific date.
- What time is 9 AM IST in CST?
- 9 AM IST (Delhi) is 10:30 PM CST (Chicago) today. Click any cell in the grid above to convert other times — the math handles DST and half-hour offsets correctly.
- Does IST observe daylight saving time?
- No. India Standard Time stays at a fixed offset year-round. The hour grid above will show the same difference whether you check in summer or winter.
- What's the IANA timezone identifier for IST and CST?
- IST → Asia/Kolkata. CST → America/Chicago. We use IANA identifiers (not GMT offsets) as the source of truth so historical and future dates remain accurate, including across DST changes and political timezone shifts.
- Where can I see the overlap between IST and CST working hours?
- Click "Working hrs" in the toolbar above to highlight hours where all selected cities have overlapping business hours. The amber highlight shows which columns work for scheduling meetings across time zones.
- Which countries use IST and CST?
- IST (India Standard Time) is used in India. CST (Central Time (US)) is used in USA and Mexico. If you're converting time between any of these countries, this is the right page.