“Indian punctuality” is a well-known phrase—unfortunately, not in a flattering sense. We often joke about “Indian Stretchable Time (IST)”, but the humour hides a persistent problem: punctuality (or the lack of it) in conferences and webinars, especially in professional and academic settings. When Time Truly Matters Broadly, two kinds of situations shape how seriously people treat time. In the first, arriving late means missing the event altogether—catching a bus, train, or flight, or appearing for an examination. Most people make every effort to be on time here. Some arrive well in advance; others prefer to cut it close and arrive…