The Department of Consumer Affairs has notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026, paving the way for Indian Standard Time (IST) to become the common time reference for legal, administrative, commercial and other official purposes across the country.
The rules were notified on August 27 and will come into effect 180 days after their publication in the Official Gazette. The transition period will allow government departments, businesses, institutions and other organisations to update their systems and processes.The move comes as accurate and synchronised time becomes increasingly important for technology-driven services. Banking and digital payments, telecommunications, railways, power networks, computer systems and government records all depend on precise timestamps.
The common IST reference is expected to improve the accuracy of timestamps in banking and digital payment transactions, strengthen coordination across transport systems such as railways and airports, and improve the reliability of telecommunications and internet networks.
Accurate and synchronised time will also be crucial for power systems, government and legal records, emergency services and other time-sensitive operations.
The framework is part of the government’s broader ‘One Nation, One Time’ initiative, which aims to establish a secure and uniform time-distribution system across India.The government is developing infrastructure to distribute accurate IST through Indian institutions and Legal Metrology laboratories.
The rules also allow the use of NavIC, India’s satellite navigation system, along with other approved Indian timing sources for secure and reliable time dissemination.Currently, several systems depend on foreign satellite-based sources for time synchronisation.