Current Local Time in Mumbai

Time zone

Mumbai uses the the Indian Standard Time zone (IST).

• IST is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+05:30). 
• The previously used Bombay time zone equates to (UTC+4:51)
• Daylight Saving Time(DST) is not observed.

Mumbai, previously known as Bombay until 1995, is the capital city of one of the states in India, Maharashtra. Mumbai is currently the second most populous city of India and the seventh most populous city in the world, with a huge population of 2 crore or 20 million. 

Bombay time was once used in the Republic of India as one of the two official time zones of the country. It was established by the Britain rulers in 1884, during the “International Median Conference” held at the Washington DC in the United States of America. At that time, it was decided that India would have two time zones: 

1. Calcutta Time zone using the 90th meridian east 
2. Bombay Time zone using the 75th meridian east. 

Discontinuation of the Bombay Time zone

On 1st January 1906, Indian Standard Time (IST) was officially adopted all over the country as the official time zone of India, and the use of the Bombay time zone was discontinued.

Although the general public body did not well reciprocate this decision of the Indian government as the prominent barrister of that time, Pherozeshah Mehta argued against this change.

He claimed that the government did not inform the people well before time and had not taken them into confidence before making such a decision. This public resentment made the government pause their decision for quite some time, and Bombay time was used till the year 1955. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does India follow a single time zone all over the country? 

Although the Republic of India spans over two geographical time zones and it previously had a number of older time zones for its prominent areas. It still uses a single standard time zone known as the Indian Standard Time zone  (IST) throughout the country. This is done to avoid any discrepancy relating to time. 

Why is there a 30 minutes gap in Mumbai time from its neighboring country Pakistan? 

At the time of the demarcation of the East and west meridians in the Indian subcontinent, New Delhi was in between the two of them. This is the reason why India decided to use the time zone  that would be 30 minutes between the meridians. This makes India 30 minutes ahead of the neighboring country Pakistan. 

Is Bombay time one of the older time zones that were used in the Republic of India? 

Yes, there were several time zones that were used at some significant places in India, including the Bombay time zone but not anymore. Bombay time was approximately 4 hours and 51 minutes ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+04:51). 

Is India in a Pacific Time zone (PT)? 

No, India uses Indian Standard Time (IST) as its official time zone , which is five and a half hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+5:30). In contrast, the Pacific Standard Time (PST) is approximately eight hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-8:00) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-8:00). 

What is the difference between time in Mumbai and New York city? 

The city of Mumbai is more or less 10 hours and 30 minutes ahead of New York city. 

Which country has the same time zone as Mumbai, India? 

Siri Lanka has the same time zone as India, which is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+5:30) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+5:30) . 

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