Convert CT to IST
IST = CT +11 h 30 min
The gap changes during the year: 11 hours 30 minutes or 10 hours 30 minutes, depending on daylight saving time.
CT · Central Time
6:14AMCST
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
IST · India Standard Time · UTC+5:30
5:44PM
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Next clock change: March 14, 2027. Chicago moves to CDT (UTC−5), so India is then 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of Chicago.
- Next clock change: November 7, 2027. Chicago moves to CST (UTC−6), so India is then 11 hours 30 minutes ahead of Chicago.
CT to IST for every hour
Each IST column holds for part of the year (dates in the header for 2027). From 12:30 PM CT, IST is already on the next calendar day.
| CT | IST +11 h 30 minJan 1 – Mar 14, Nov 7 – Dec 31 | IST +10 h 30 minMar 14 – Nov 7 | 24-hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 11:30 AM | 10:30 AM | 00:00 → 11:30 |
| 1:00 AM | 12:30 PM | 11:30 AM | 01:00 → 12:30 |
| 2:00 AM | 1:30 PM | 12:30 PM | 02:00 → 13:30 |
| 3:00 AM | 2:30 PM | 1:30 PM | 03:00 → 14:30 |
| 4:00 AM | 3:30 PM | 2:30 PM | 04:00 → 15:30 |
| 5:00 AM | 4:30 PM | 3:30 PM | 05:00 → 16:30 |
| 6:00 AM | 5:30 PM | 4:30 PM | 06:00 → 17:30 |
| 7:00 AM | 6:30 PM | 5:30 PM | 07:00 → 18:30 |
| 8:00 AM | 7:30 PM | 6:30 PM | 08:00 → 19:30 |
| 9:00 AM | 8:30 PM | 7:30 PM | 09:00 → 20:30 |
| 10:00 AM | 9:30 PM | 8:30 PM | 10:00 → 21:30 |
| 11:00 AM | 10:30 PM | 9:30 PM | 11:00 → 22:30 |
| 12:00 PM | 11:30 PM | 10:30 PM | 12:00 → 23:30 |
| 1:00 PM | 12:30 AM +1 day | 11:30 PM | 13:00 → 00:30 |
| 2:00 PM | 1:30 AM +1 day | 12:30 AM +1 day | 14:00 → 01:30 |
| 3:00 PM | 2:30 AM +1 day | 1:30 AM +1 day | 15:00 → 02:30 |
| 4:00 PM | 3:30 AM +1 day | 2:30 AM +1 day | 16:00 → 03:30 |
| 5:00 PM | 4:30 AM +1 day | 3:30 AM +1 day | 17:00 → 04:30 |
| 6:00 PM | 5:30 AM +1 day | 4:30 AM +1 day | 18:00 → 05:30 |
| 7:00 PM | 6:30 AM +1 day | 5:30 AM +1 day | 19:00 → 06:30 |
| 8:00 PM | 7:30 AM +1 day | 6:30 AM +1 day | 20:00 → 07:30 |
| 9:00 PM | 8:30 AM +1 day | 7:30 AM +1 day | 21:00 → 08:30 |
| 10:00 PM | 9:30 AM +1 day | 8:30 AM +1 day | 22:00 → 09:30 |
| 11:00 PM | 10:30 AM +1 day | 9:30 AM +1 day | 23:00 → 10:30 |
Bold rows fall inside office hours (9:00 to 17:00) on both sides. The dot marks the current CT hour.
The CT times people look up most
| CT | IST +11 h 30 min | IST +10 h 30 min |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 8:30 PM | 8:00 AM +1 day | 7:00 AM +1 day |
| 12:00 PM | 11:30 PM | 10:30 PM |
| 2:00 PM | 1:30 AM +1 day | 12:30 AM +1 day |
| 4:00 PM | 3:30 AM +1 day | 2:30 AM +1 day |
| 9:30 AM | 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 9:30 PM | 9:00 AM +1 day | 8:00 AM +1 day |
Does the difference change during the year?
Yes. Chicago changes its clocks, while IST is a fixed offset, so the gap is 11 hours 30 minutes or 10 hours 30 minutes depending on the date:
| From | What changes | Chicago | IST | IST vs CT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Start of the year | CST (UTC−6) | IST (UTC+5:30) | +11 h 30 min |
| March 8 | Chicago moves to CDT (UTC−5) | CDT (UTC−5) | IST (UTC+5:30) | +10 h 30 min |
| November 1 | Chicago moves to CST (UTC−6) | CST (UTC−6) | IST (UTC+5:30) | +11 h 30 min |
| From | What changes | Chicago | IST | IST vs CT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Start of the year | CST (UTC−6) | IST (UTC+5:30) | +11 h 30 min |
| March 14 | Chicago moves to CDT (UTC−5) | CDT (UTC−5) | IST (UTC+5:30) | +10 h 30 min |
| November 7 | Chicago moves to CST (UTC−6) | CST (UTC−6) | IST (UTC+5:30) | +11 h 30 min |
Converting CT to IST by hand
With the +11 h 30 min gap (Jan 1 – Mar 14, Nov 7 – Dec 31), add 11 hours 30 minutes: 3:30 PM CT is 3:00 AM IST (next day). In your head it is easier to swap AM and PM, then take away 30 minutes: 3:30 PM, 3:30 AM, 3:00 AM.
With the +10 h 30 min gap (Mar 14 – Nov 7), add 10 hours 30 minutes: 3:30 PM CT is 2:00 AM IST (next day). In your head it is easier to swap AM and PM, then take away 1 hour 30 minutes: 3:30 PM, 3:30 AM, 2:00 AM.
Going back from IST to CT, do the opposite.
Where the CT and IST working days overlap
+11 h 30 min (from Jan 1 to Mar 14 and Nov 7 to Dec 31, 2027): Two 9:00–17:00 days do not overlap at all. To meet between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM on both sides, start at 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM CT (6:30 PM to 8:30 PM IST), or 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM CT (7:30 AM to 8:30 AM IST).
+10 h 30 min (between Mar 14 and Nov 7, 2027): Two 9:00–17:00 days do not overlap at all. To meet between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM on both sides, start at 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM CT (5:30 PM to 8:30 PM IST), or 9:00 PM CT (7:30 AM IST).
A meeting fixed in one city’s calendar moves by an hour for the other when the gap changes. Calendar apps handle this when the event is saved in a named zone (for example America/Chicago) rather than as a fixed offset.
What CT and IST mean
Central Time
CT means the current time in the US Central zone (Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Minneapolis): CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) in summer.
India Standard Time
IST here is India Standard Time, UTC+5:30, used in all of India all year: no daylight saving time and a single zone for the whole country.
IST can also mean Israel Standard Time (UTC+2, Israel) or Irish Standard Time (UTC+1, Ireland, in summer). This page uses India Standard Time, the meaning people searching for this conversion have in mind. For another one, type the city into the time zone converter.