Andaman and Nicobar, India

Current time in Andaman and Nicobar, India

The islands use Asia/Kolkata, the standard time-zone identifier for India. Their offset is five hours and thirty minutes ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. The half-hour component matters when converting calls, flights, or online events.

Although the territory lies far east of much of mainland India, it does not maintain a separate island time zone. Official schedules, government offices, transport services, and local businesses all operate on IST unless a particular notice states otherwise. The Sun arrives early in the islands, but the clock remains loyal to the rest of India.

Main settlements across the islands

Port Blair is the territorial capital and the main urban centre. Diglipur, Rangat, and Mayabunder are important settlements in the Andaman group. Car Nicobar is a principal settlement in the Nicobar group, while Campbell Bay serves Great Nicobar.

Port Blair uses India Standard Time all year. Diglipur, Rangat, and Mayabunder share the capital’s clock. Car Nicobar remains on IST despite its more southerly position. Campbell Bay uses the same UTC+05:30 offset as mainland India.

Inter-island travel never requires a watch adjustment. A ferry may cover a long distance and cross different longitudes, but its departure and arrival times stay within IST. The same applies to flights between Port Blair and Indian mainland cities.

Early sunrise in Andaman and Nicobar

The territory’s eastern position within India means sunrise and sunset commonly occur earlier by the clock than in many mainland locations using the same time zone. This is a geographical consequence of applying one national standard across a wide east-to-west span.

Sunrise varies by island, season, and latitude. The Andaman group stretches northward from the Nicobar group, so a single Port Blair value cannot exactly represent Diglipur or Campbell Bay. The daily calculation should always be tied to the nearest available location.

Cloud, tropical weather, coastal hills, and vegetation can affect when direct sunlight is visible. Twilight begins before the published sunrise, offering some natural light even when the Sun is still below the horizon. For ferry connections, outdoor work, or photography, consult the date-specific local entry rather than assuming sunrise occurs at a constant hour. India does not apply daylight saving, so seasonal movement in solar times is astronomical and is not interrupted by a clock change.