When should I start tomato seeds in North India?

North India has two main tomato windows. Winter crop: sow seeds September–October, transplant October–November, harvest December–February. Summer crop: sow January–February, harvest April–May before peak heat. Avoid sowing in peak summer (May–August) as temperatures above 38°C cause flower drop. Seed germination is fastest at 25–30°C. Lucknow, Delhi, and Jaipur gardeners typically get better yields from the winter crop.