Convert any time between IST and CET, with a full 24-hour table and the hours when both sides are actually at work.

IST to CET Time Converter

CET is 3 hours and 30 minutes behind IST. IST is UTC+5:30, and Continental western Europe is currently on CEST (UTC+2:00).

Worth knowing right now. Continental western Europe is currently on CEST, not CET, because daylight saving is in effect. The 3 hours and 30 minutes above is the gap between those two regions today, which is almost certainly what you want. Taken strictly as written, IST to CET is 4 hours and 30 minutes.
IST
India Standard Time
06:24:41 PM
Sunday, October 11, 2026
UTC+5:30
-3:30
hours difference
⇆ Reverse
CET
Central European Time
02:54:41 PM
Sunday, October 11, 2026
UTC+2:00

Best Time to Call Between IST and CET

Both zones are inside normal business hours between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM IST — that's 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM CET. That's a 4-hour window.

both at work IST only CET only neither  —  hours along the strip are IST.

IST to CET: Full 24-Hour Conversion Table

Shaded rows are working hours; the darker shade marks the hours when both zones are at work.

ISTCETWorking hours
12:00 AM 8:30 PM prev day —
1:00 AM 9:30 PM prev day —
2:00 AM 10:30 PM prev day —
3:00 AM 11:30 PM prev day —
4:00 AM 12:30 AM —
5:00 AM 1:30 AM —
6:00 AM 2:30 AM —
7:00 AM 3:30 AM —
8:00 AM 4:30 AM —
9:00 AM 5:30 AM IST only
10:00 AM 6:30 AM IST only
11:00 AM 7:30 AM IST only
12:00 PM 8:30 AM IST only
1:00 PM 9:30 AM Both zones
2:00 PM 10:30 AM Both zones
3:00 PM 11:30 AM Both zones
4:00 PM 12:30 PM Both zones
5:00 PM 1:30 PM CET only
6:00 PM 2:30 PM CET only
7:00 PM 3:30 PM CET only
8:00 PM 4:30 PM CET only
9:00 PM 5:30 PM —
10:00 PM 6:30 PM —
11:00 PM 7:30 PM —

What IST and CET Actually Are

IST — India Standard Time

Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad — and Colombo. Standing at UTC+5:30 as written, and the region does not change its clocks, so that offset holds all year. IST also stands for Irish Standard Time (UTC+1) and Israel Standard Time (UTC+2). This page covers the Indian one, which is by far the most searched.

India runs a single time zone across a country wide enough for two, which is why sunrise in the north-east can come nearly two hours before Mumbai's. Proposals for a second zone resurface regularly and have never been adopted.

CET — Central European Time

Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Vienna, Warsaw, Stockholm. Standing at UTC+1:00 as written, and the region does change its clocks, so its live offset moves by an hour twice a year. The next change is on Sunday, October 25, 2026, to CET. Most of continental Europe moves to CEST (UTC+2) for the summer.

Central European Time spans a remarkable stretch of longitude — from Spain's Atlantic coast to Poland's eastern border — so solar noon in Madrid arrives nearly two hours later than in Warsaw.

What This Means in Practice

Expect times on the half hour

IST sits on a 30-minute offset rather than a whole hour, so a round number on one side is never a round number on the other. A 9:00 meeting becomes 30 minutes past the hour, which is exactly the detail calendar invitations get wrong when someone converts in their head.

This gap is not fixed

CET changes its clocks and IST does not, so the difference between them moves by an hour twice a year. A recurring meeting set now will drift for one side from Sunday, October 25, 2026 unless someone resets it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the time difference between IST and CET?

CET is 3 hours and 30 minutes behind IST. That is the live figure. Taken strictly as written, the gap between IST and CET is 4 hours and 30 minutes — the two differ because at least one of these regions is currently on daylight saving.

What is 9:00 AM IST in CET?

9:00 AM IST is 5:30 AM CET.

What are the best hours to schedule a call between IST and CET?

Between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM IST, which is 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM CET. Both sides are inside normal business hours through that window.

Does the difference between IST and CET change during the year?

Yes. CET observes daylight saving and IST does not, so the gap shifts by an hour at least twice a year. The next clock change is on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

Does IST always mean India Standard Time?

IST also stands for Irish Standard Time (UTC+1) and Israel Standard Time (UTC+2). This page covers the Indian one, which is by far the most searched.

Does CET always mean Central European Time?

Most of continental Europe moves to CEST (UTC+2) for the summer.

Converting between two time zones regularly? Bookmark this page — the clocks update live and the table follows daylight saving automatically.