Time Difference Between China and India
As of 31 August 2026, India is 2 hours 30 minutes behind China. This difference is fixed: neither zone shifts its clocks against the other, so it holds all year.
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Beijing, China
06:34
Tue, Sep 1, 2026
UTC+8 · Asia/Shanghai
New Delhi, India
-2h 30m04:04
Tue, Sep 1, 2026
UTC+5:30 · Asia/Kolkata
India is 2 hours 30 minutes behind China.
Time zone details
| Place | Local date | Time zone | UTC offset | Summer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Tuesday, September 1, 2026 | Asia/Shanghai | UTC+8 | Not observed |
| India | Tuesday, September 1, 2026 | Asia/Kolkata | UTC+5:30 | Not observed |
China: China uses a single official time zone across the whole country.
Hour by hour: China to India
Every hour of today in China and what it is in India. Highlighted rows fall inside India working hours (09:00–18:00).
| China | India |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 21:30prev day |
| 01:00 | 22:30prev day |
| 02:00 | 23:30prev day |
| 03:00 | 00:30 |
| 04:00 | 01:30 |
| 05:00 | 02:30 |
| 06:00 | 03:30 |
| 07:00 | 04:30 |
| 08:00 | 05:30 |
| 09:00 | 06:30 |
| 10:00 | 07:30 |
| 11:00 | 08:30 |
| China | India |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | 09:30 |
| 13:00 | 10:30 |
| 14:00 | 11:30 |
| 15:00 | 12:30 |
| 16:00 | 13:30 |
| 17:00 | 14:30 |
| 18:00 | 15:30 |
| 19:00 | 16:30 |
| 20:00 | 17:30 |
| 21:00 | 18:30 |
| 22:00 | 19:30 |
| 23:00 | 20:30 |
Best time to call or meet
Overlapping working hours
11:30–18:00 in China (09:00–15:30 in India)
Both places are inside 09:00–18:00 for 6 hours 30 minutes a day. Anything in this window works without asking anyone to stay late.
Reasonable calling hours
10:30–21:00 in China (08:00–18:30 in India)
Both people are awake and available between 08:00 and 21:00 local time during this window.
When this difference changes
Neither China nor India changes its clocks, so the difference of 2 hours 30 minutes stays the same all year.
Planning something with more than two places?
Adding a third city usually kills the obvious answer. The Meeting Time Finder takes up to five cities at once and shows only the hours that work for everybody.
China and India: common questions
What is the time difference between China and India?
India is 2 hours 30 minutes behind China, and this does not change during the year because the difference between these two zones is fixed.
When it is 9:00 AM in China, what time is it in India?
It is 06:30 AM in New Delhi, India. Use the time field in the calculator above to check any other hour.
Is India ahead of or behind China?
India is behind China by 2 hours 30 minutes at the moment. In practical terms, the working day in India starts and ends later in China terms.
Do China and India observe daylight saving time?
Neither China nor India observes daylight saving time, so the difference stays at 2 hours 30 minutes all year.
What is the best time to call India from China?
Working hours overlap between 11:30 and 18:00 China time, which is 09:00 to 15:30 in India. Calls inside that window reach both sides during the normal working day.
Related comparisons
Local dates shown for Beijing, China (UTC+8) and New Delhi, India (UTC+5:30) were generated on Monday, August 31, 2026 UTC and refresh in your browser.