Kolkata, West Bengal, India uses Asia/Kolkata, currently IST (UTC+05:30). No clock changes are scheduled in the next 12 months.
Kolkata ranks among the biggest cities in India, home to around 4.6 million people. Unlike many places, it does not observe daylight saving time.
The band below is your local scale — accent shows when everyone's business hours overlap. Add or remove a city on the left and this updates too.
Written for people arriving, calling in, or planning a trip around the time difference.
Central areas near the main commercial and cultural districts put transit, markets, and colonial-era architecture within close reach. Quieter residential neighborhoods lie further out, generally requiring a longer trip into the city center.
The city's colonial architecture, riverside ghats, and cultural institutions are best explored in the cooler months, avoiding the intense heat and humidity of late spring. Museums and covered markets offer good options when the weather is less forgiving.
A metro system, trams, buses, and the iconic yellow taxis all serve the city, alongside ride-hailing apps for more direct trips. Streets can be crowded, so allowing extra time for cross-city journeys is wise.
Kolkata is hot and humid much of the year, with the winter months from roughly November to February offering the most comfortable, drier conditions. The monsoon, generally June through September, brings heavy rain.
India uses the INR, calling code +91.
India uses the Indian rupee, and while Hindi and English are used nationally, Bengali is the primary language spoken locally in Kolkata. A warm, unhurried manner in conversation is generally appreciated, especially around cultural topics.
