One Time, One Nation

 New Delhi, June 19, 2025:

The Indian government made history by formally announcing the "One Nation, One Time" initiative, which requires that all legal, business, digital, and administrative activities take place in Indian Standard Time (IST). 

Speaking at a round-table conference in Vigyan Bhawan, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said: "All legal, commercial, and administrative activities will have to be synchronized with Indian Standard Time under the upcoming Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025." He also added that "alternative time references will be prohibited unless explicitly authorized."

With the support of the Department of Consumer Affairs, CSIR's National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and ISRO, five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories will be established in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, and Guwahati. These laboratories will be outfitted with atomic clocks and secure synchronization systems like Network Time Protocol and Precision Time Protocol. 

The objective is to guarantee millisecond to microsecond IST accuracy, improving transparency and equity in all industries, particularly in digital platforms, telecom, power grids, finance, and transportation. Authorities emphasized that this step attempts to lessen cybersecurity risks like spoofing and jamming that arise from reliance on foreign timing systems like GPS.

Under the supervision of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Reserve Bank of India, and other regulators, operators in the financial, banking, telecommunications, stock market, and critical infrastructure sectors have been instructed to immediately abandon alternative timing references. 

According to a Department of Consumer Affairs spokesperson, bringing all systems into sync with a single framework would not only simplify operations but also lower the risk of cybercrime and avoid billing errors. 

"Both strategic and non-strategic sectors require precise time with nanosecond accuracy," she said. Any use of alternate time frameworks requires explicit government approval, though there will be special exceptions for disciplines like astronomy, navigation, and scientific research. To guarantee compliance, penalties and recurring audits will be implemented.

Operators in the banking, stock market, telecommunications, financial, and critical infrastructure sectors have been directed to immediately stop using alternative timing references, with oversight from the Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, and other regulators. A spokesperson for the Department of Consumer Affairs stated that integrating all systems into a single framework would simplify operations, reduce the risk of cybercrime, and prevent billing errors. 

According to her, "exact time with nanosecond accuracy is required in both strategic and non-strategic sectors." Although there will be special exceptions for fields like astronomy, navigation, and scientific research, all use of alternate time frameworks requires express government approval. Penalties and frequent audits will be used to ensure compliance.