Time difference between London and Chennai

Updated live in your browser · IANA time zone database (Europe/London, Asia/Kolkata)

Chennai is 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of London. Right now it is in London and in Chennai. When it is 12:00 noon in London, it is 4:30 PM in Chennai.
London BST · UTC+1
Chennai GMT+5:30 · UTC+5:30
Difference 4 hours and 30 minutes — Chennai is ahead of London

Best time to call

Both in office hours (9–17) Both awake (7–22) One side asleep

Hours shown in London time. The working-day overlap runs 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM in London, which is 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM in Chennai — schedule calls in that window.

Hour-by-hour conversion

London time converted to Chennai time, hour by hour
London (BST) Chennai (GMT+5:30) Call quality
12:00 AM 4:30 AM Off hours
1:00 AM 5:30 AM Off hours
2:00 AM 6:30 AM Off hours
3:00 AM 7:30 AM Off hours
4:00 AM 8:30 AM Off hours
5:00 AM 9:30 AM Off hours
6:00 AM 10:30 AM Off hours
7:00 AM 11:30 AM OK
8:00 AM 12:30 PM OK
9:00 AM 1:30 PM Best
10:00 AM 2:30 PM Best
11:00 AM 3:30 PM Best
12:00 PM 4:30 PM Best
1:00 PM 5:30 PM OK
2:00 PM 6:30 PM OK
3:00 PM 7:30 PM OK
4:00 PM 8:30 PM OK
5:00 PM 9:30 PM OK
6:00 PM 10:30 PM Off hours
7:00 PM 11:30 PM Off hours
8:00 PM 12:30 AM+1 day Off hours
9:00 PM 1:30 AM+1 day Off hours
10:00 PM 2:30 AM+1 day Off hours
11:00 PM 3:30 AM+1 day Off hours

Daylight saving time note

London and Chennai do not change their clocks on the same date. Between October 25, 2026 and March 28, 2027 the difference is 5 hours and 30 minutes behind Chennai — because London changes its clocks for daylight saving time while Chennai keeps the same time all year.

For the rest of the year the difference holds steady at 4 hours and 30 minutes. Every time on this page is computed from the IANA database at the moment you load it, so the tables above already account for whichever side has switched.

Why the time difference exists

London keeps standard time at UTC, while Chennai runs on UTC+5:30. London moves its clocks for daylight saving time while Chennai keeps the same time all year, so the gap widens and narrows by an hour with the seasons. Geographically the two lie about 8,200 km apart, with Chennai to the east of London.

Flying from London to Chennai, your body clock shifts about 6 hours forward. In flying terms that's roughly 10½ hours in the air, give or take. A quick look at each side's working hours keeps meetings out of the middle of the night.

Related comparisons

London compared with other major cities

Time difference from London to other major cities
CityLocal timeDifference from London
Shanghai 7 hours ahead of London
Beijing 7 hours ahead of London
Shenzhen 7 hours ahead of London
Guangzhou 7 hours ahead of London
Kinshasa the same time as London
Istanbul 2 hours ahead of London
Lagos the same time as London
Ho Chi Minh City 6 hours ahead of London
Chengdu 7 hours ahead of London
Lahore 4 hours ahead of London
Mumbai 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of London
São Paulo 4 hours behind London

Related pages

Frequently asked questions

What is the time difference between London and Chennai?
London is 4 hours and 30 minutes behind Chennai right now. The figure is computed live and accounts for daylight saving time on both sides.
Does the difference between London and Chennai change during the year?
Yes. From October 25, 2026 to March 28, 2027 the difference is 5 hours and 30 minutes behind Chennai, because London changes its clocks for daylight saving time while Chennai keeps the same time all year.
What is the best time to call between London and Chennai?
Both sides are within 9 AM–5 PM business hours 9:00 AM–12:30 PM in London (1:30 PM–5:00 PM in Chennai).