CET to IST Converter
Convert Central European Time (CET/CEST) to India Standard Time (IST). Pick any date — daylight saving is applied from the IANA time zone database, so the answer is right in March and in November.
CET to IST
CET is 3 hours and 30 minutes behind IST.
Quick answer. IST is 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of CET for part of the year and 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead for the rest, because CET observes daylight saving time and the other side does not. The gap is 4 hours and 30 minutes during CET's standard-time months and 3 hours and 30 minutes during daylight time, so always convert against a specific date.
Time difference
Central European Time (CET/CEST)
CET UTC+1:00 CEST UTC+2:00 Observes DST
Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Stockholm.
- ↑ March 29, 2026 clocks forward at 3:00 AM · UTC+1:00 → UTC+2:00
- ↓ October 25, 2026 clocks back at 2:00 AM · UTC+2:00 → UTC+1:00
Central Europe switches on the last Sunday of March and October — a week or two apart from the US switch, which briefly makes the India–Europe and India–US gaps move independently.
India Standard Time (IST)
IST UTC+5:30 No DST
Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad.
India runs on a single time zone, UTC+5:30, and has not observed daylight saving time since 1945. The half-hour offset is why IST conversions rarely land on a round hour.
CET to IST conversion table
Every hour of the day for 2026. Because CET changes clocks twice a year, these values shift by an hour across the daylight saving boundary — use the date picker above for a specific day.
| CET | IST | 24-hour |
|---|---|---|
| 12 AM | 3:30 AM | 03:30 |
| 1 AM | 4:30 AM | 04:30 |
| 2 AM | 5:30 AM | 05:30 |
| 3 AM | 6:30 AM | 06:30 |
| 4 AM | 7:30 AM | 07:30 |
| 5 AM | 8:30 AM | 08:30 |
| 6 AM | 9:30 AM | 09:30 |
| 7 AM | 10:30 AM | 10:30 |
| 8 AM | 11:30 AM | 11:30 |
| 9 AM | 12:30 PM | 12:30 |
| 10 AM | 1:30 PM | 13:30 |
| 11 AM | 2:30 PM | 14:30 |
| 12 PM | 3:30 PM | 15:30 |
| 1 PM | 4:30 PM | 16:30 |
| 2 PM | 5:30 PM | 17:30 |
| 3 PM | 6:30 PM | 18:30 |
| 4 PM | 7:30 PM | 19:30 |
| 5 PM | 8:30 PM | 20:30 |
| 6 PM | 9:30 PM | 21:30 |
| 7 PM | 10:30 PM | 22:30 |
| 8 PM | 11:30 PM | 23:30 |
| 9 PM | 12:30 AM +1 day | 00:30 |
| 10 PM | 1:30 AM +1 day | 01:30 |
| 11 PM | 2:30 AM +1 day | 02:30 |
Highlighted rows are the 5 hours where a 9–6 working day in CET overlaps a 9–5 working day in IST.
Popular conversion times
| CET | IST |
|---|---|
| 9 AM CET | 12:30 PM |
| 10 AM CET | 1:30 PM |
| 11 AM CET | 2:30 PM |
| 12 PM CET | 3:30 PM |
| 3 PM CET | 6:30 PM |
| 5 PM CET | 8:30 PM |
| 6 PM CET | 9:30 PM |
| 8 PM CET | 11:30 PM |
Business hours and meeting times
Comparing a 9:00–18:00 working day in CET against 9:00–17:00 in IST, across the whole week — a slot only counts if it lands on a working day at both ends.
Both sides work Monday to Friday, so the working weeks line up and you share 5 days.
Rows are days in CET. Columns are hours of the CET day.
Best recurring slot
12 PM CET = 3:30 PM IST , every shared working day
Across the week that is 20 overlapping working hours . The widest day is Monday, with 4 hours.
| Day | Overlap (CET) | Local (IST) | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9 AM – 1 PM | 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM | 4 |
| Tuesday | 9 AM – 1 PM | 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM | 4 |
| Wednesday | 9 AM – 1 PM | 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM | 4 |
| Thursday | 9 AM – 1 PM | 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM | 4 |
| Friday | 9 AM – 1 PM | 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM | 4 |
| Saturday | CET weekend | — | — |
| Sunday | CET weekend | — | — |
About this conversion
Central Europe switches on the last Sunday of March and October — a week or two apart from the US switch, which briefly makes the India–Europe and India–US gaps move independently.
India runs on a single time zone, UTC+5:30, and has not observed daylight saving time since 1945. The half-hour offset is why IST conversions rarely land on a round hour.
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between CET and IST?
It depends on the date. IST is 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of CET in January and 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead in July, because CET changes clocks for daylight saving time. Use the converter above with the date you actually need.
What time is 9 AM CET in IST?
9:00 AM CET is 1:30 PM in IST during IST, and 12:30 PM during daylight time. The table on this page lists all 24 hours for the date you pick.
What is the best time for a meeting between CET and IST?
Working days overlap for about 4 hours on a typical Monday: 9 AM to 1 PM CET, which is 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM in IST. For a recurring invite, 12 PM CET / 3:30 PM IST is the slot that works on the most days.
Does CET observe daylight saving time?
Yes. CET alternates between CET (UTC+1:00) and CEST (UTC+2:00). In 2026, clocks in CET go forward on March 29, 2026 and back on October 25, 2026. India does not shift at all, so the gap between the two moves twice a year.
When do the clocks change in CET?
In 2026, clocks in CET go forward on March 29, 2026 and back on October 25, 2026. Between those dates the gap from India is 3 hours and 30 minutes; outside them it is 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Why does the CET–IST difference change during the year?
Because CET switches between CET (UTC+1:00) and CEST (UTC+2:00) for daylight saving, while the other side does not move. A converter that assumes one fixed gap will be an hour wrong for roughly half the year.
How many hours a week do CET and IST actually overlap?
20 hours across the week, spread over 5 working days. 12 PM CET (3:30 PM IST) is the slot that works on the most days, so it is the one to put in a recurring invite.
Is CET ahead of IST?
No, it is the other way around: IST is ahead of CET by 3 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Converting the other way
Looking up times starting from IST? Use the IST to CET converter, which leads with IST as the starting point and is written for that reader.
Related converters
- IST to EST · Eastern Time
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- IST to UTC · Coordinated Universal Time
- IST to GMT · Greenwich Mean Time
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- IST to MST · Mountain Time