One Nation One Time: India’s new official time zone; Govt makes IST mandatory for all legal and digital systems

The government will soon make the use of Indian Standard Time (IST) mandatory for all legal, commercial, digital, and administrative purposes, Union food and consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi announced on Wednesday.“Together, we are committed to building a unified, future-proof digital infrastructure, reinforcing the vision of One Nation, One Time,” the minister said. The minister announced the decision during a round table conference on the dissemination of Indian Standard Time (IST) held today at Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi, with key stakeholders.“For the first time Indian history, Indian Standard Time will be official legal time of India,” he wrote in a post on social media platform X.

The minister said that the crucial role of synchronized time in strengthening national security, enabling secure digital transactions, and supporting critical infrastructure. The initiative is expected to significantly improve forensic investigations and boost cyber audit capabilities, thereby enhancing India’s overall digital resilience. It aims to bring greater accuracy and security to time-sensitive systems across sectors, from digital payments and utility billing to transport and communication, which currently depend, in many cases, on foreign time sources.To implement the change, the government will soon notify the legal metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. The draft rules were released in January this year for stakeholder feedback.