Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 30: 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 force 180 days after their publication in the Official Gazette. The transition period is intended to give government departments, businesses, institutions and other organisations time to make necessary changes to their systems and processes.
The move comes amid growing dependence on accurate and synchronised time across technology-driven systems. Banking and digital payments, telecommunications, railways, power networks, computer systems and government records increasingly rely on precise timestamps, making consistency in timekeeping critical for their smooth functioning.
Under the new framework, a common IST reference is expected to improve the accuracy of timestamps for banking and digital payment transactions, support coordination across transport systems such as railways and airports, and strengthen the reliability of telecommunications and internet networks.
Accurate and synchronised time will also be important 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 aimed at establishing a secure and uniform time-distribution system across India.
The government is developing infrastructure to disseminate accurate Indian Standard Time through Indian institutions and Legal Metrology laboratories.
The rules also provide for the use of NavIC, India's satellite navigation system, along with other approved Indian timing sources for secure and reliable time dissemination.
At present, several systems depend on foreign satellite-based sources for timing. The development of indigenous time-dissemination infrastructure is expected to provide an additional source for critical systems and reduce dependence on external timing infrastructure.
As part of the initiative, a White Rabbit Technology-based Indian Standard Time Dissemination Demonstration Network was commissioned at the Regional Reference Standard Laboratory (RRSL) in Bengaluru in July 2026.
The system has demonstrated the dissemination of IST for sectors including banking, telecommunications, power, transportation and digital governance.
The government has also demonstrated secure dissemination of Indian Standard Time between RRSL Bengaluru and NSE Chennai, in collaboration with CSIR-NPL, ISRO, SEBI, NSE, BSNL and other stakeholders.
The 180-day transition period will allow stakeholders to assess their existing systems, undertake technical modifications and prepare for compliance before the rules come into effect.