Understanding India's Time Zone: Why is India Ahead of Greenwich Mean Time?

Discover why India is ahead of GMT by 5 hours and 30 minutes based on its geographical location.

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India is ahead of Greenwich time (GMT) by 5 hours and 30 minutes because it operates on Indian Standard Time (IST), which is set at 82.5 degrees east longitude. This time zone positioning is due to India's geographical location in relation to the prime meridian.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What is Indian Standard Time? Indian Standard Time (IST) is the time zone used in India set at UTC+5:30 hours, 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
  2. How does India's time zone affect its trade? India's time zone facilitates business interactions with countries in different time zones, especially in Asia, by optimizing work hours for communication.
  3. Why was IST chosen for India? IST was chosen to create a uniform time across India, despite its vast geographical size, to streamline communications and scheduling.