Chennai keeps UTC+5:30 (IST) all year. There is no daylight saving time, so the clock never changes.
Chennai and your time
Chennai at a glance
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| Region | Tamil Nadu |
| Time zone | Asia/Kolkata |
| Abbreviation now | IST |
| UTC offset now | UTC+5:30 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed |
| Coordinates | 13.09° N, 80.28° E |
Which time zone Chennai uses
Chennai follows the Asia/Kolkata time zone and stays on UTC+5:30 all year. The tz database records no daylight saving time here since 1970.
The offset includes half an hour, so the gap between Chennai and most other cities is a whole number of hours plus 30 minutes.
All of India keeps the same time, so Chennai reads the same clock as New Delhi.
Clock changes in Chennai, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in Chennai for 2026 or 2027.
Time difference between Chennai and other cities
Take 9:00 AM in Chennai: the clock reads 10:30 PM (previous day) in New York, 2:30 PM in Sydney and 7:30 PM (previous day) in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 10 h 30 min behind | 10 h 30 min behind | 9 h 30 min behind | None |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 13 h 30 min behind | 13 h 30 min behind | 12 h 30 min behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 5 h 30 min behind | 5 h 30 min behind | 4 h 30 min behind | 2 h 30 min |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 4 h 30 min behind | 4 h 30 min behind | 3 h 30 min behind | 3 h 30 min |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 1 h 30 min behind | 1 h 30 min behind | 1 h 30 min behind | 6 h 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | 2 h 30 min ahead | 2 h 30 min ahead | 2 h 30 min ahead | 5 h 30 min |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 3 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min ahead | 4 h 30 min |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 5 h 30 min ahead | 5 h 30 min ahead | 4 h 30 min ahead | 2 h 30 min |
| UTC | --:-- | 5 h 30 min behind | 5 h 30 min behind | 5 h 30 min behind | 2 h 30 min |
Chennai never changes its clocks, but many of these cities do. Where the January and July columns disagree, the gap shifts when the other city moves to or from daylight saving time.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Daylight in Chennai
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Close to the equator, days in Chennai last between 11 hours 21 minutes and 12 hours 54 minutes, so evenings get dark at about the same time all year.
Daylight through the year in Chennai
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:13 AM | 6:20 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:44 AM | 6:38 PM | 12 h 54 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 5:58 AM | 6:05 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| December solstice | December 22 | 6:27 AM | 5:48 PM | 11 h 21 min |
When the sun is highest in Chennai
Clock time and sun time line up fairly well in Chennai: solar noon falls at about 12:10 PM on standard time.
Places close to Chennai
Every city below shares Chennai’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanchipuram | 69 km (43 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Ranipet | 104 km (65 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Tirupati | 111 km (69 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Vellore | 126 km (78 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Chittoor | 129 km (80 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Puducherry | 137 km (85 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Nellore | 155 km (96 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Cuddalore | 158 km (98 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
More cities in India
All time zones and cities in India
Tools for time in Chennai
- Convert a time to or from Chennai: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Chennai to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Chennai and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Chennai in?
Chennai uses the Asia/Kolkata time zone, which is UTC+5:30 (IST) all year.
Does Chennai use daylight saving time?
No. Chennai stays on UTC+5:30 all year, so the time difference to places without daylight saving time never changes.
What is the time difference between Chennai and New York?
Chennai is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of New York in January and 9 hours 30 minutes ahead of New York in July, because New York moves its clocks for daylight saving time and Chennai does not.
Is Chennai on the same time as New Delhi?
Yes. Chennai and New Delhi both use UTC+5:30 right now.
How long is the longest day in Chennai?
About 12 hours 54 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 11 hours 21 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.