Indian Numeral System: Place Value Chart, Rules, and Examples
Indian numeral system uses 0 to 9 by grouping them into periods like lakhs and crores. Learn other rules of the Indian numeral system in detail here.
Chandni 5 Jun, 2025
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Indian numeral system came into existence following the need for writing large numbers, which were not possible by finger counting or tally marks. The numeral system brings a standard system of counting and representing numbers using digits or symbols.
Out of the different number systems used worldwide, the Indian numeral system takes a prominent place. This article will cover the Indian number system, the use of digits, naming conventions, and other details to help you understand.
Read More: Whole Numbers
What is Indian Numeral System?
The Indian numeral system, or Indian numbering system, is a system widely used in India for representing numbers. It is a mathematical way to express various numbers using digits from 0 to 9. The characteristic of the Indian numeral system is the naming convention used for different place values of a given number. In this indian number system, we count in terms of ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, lakhs, and crores. The following chart represents the different periods and corresponding place values according to the Indian number system.|
Indian Numeral System |
||
| Periods | Place | Number of Digits |
| Crores | Ten crores | 9 |
| Crores | 8 | |
| Lakhs | Ten lakhs | 7 |
| lakhs | 6 | |
| Thousands | Ten thousand | 5 |
| Thousands | 4 | |
| Ones | Hundreds | 3 |
| Tens | 2 | |
| Ones | 1 | |
Read More: What is Slope Formula?
How to Write Numbers in Indian Numeral System?
In the Indian numeral system, numbers are written using the digits from the set of 10 digits, which are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. E ach of these digits in the number gets its value from the place it holds in the number. Writing numbers in the Indian system follows certain rules, which are mentioned as follows:- While writing a number, separators or commas are used between digits to mark the different periods. Based on these separators, periods are identified in the naming of numbers.
- The commas are placed according to the ratio of 3:2:2, which means that starting from the right, the firm comma is put after 3 digits, the second comma comes after two digits, and the next comma is placed again after two digits.
- While writing a number in the Indian numeral system, we mention the period after each digit of that period.
- If a period has zeros in all places, then we skip mentioning that period.
| Place | Digits | Period |
| Ten crores | 5 | Crores |
| Crores | 3 | |
| Ten lakhs | 2 | Lakhs |
| lakhs | 4 | |
| Ten thousand | 7 | Thousands |
| Thousands | 8 | |
| Hundreds | 6 | Ones |
| Tens | 1 | |
| Ones | 2 |
Indian Numeral System Expanded Form
A number written in the Indian numeral system can be expanded by increasing the value of each digit 10 times, starting from right to left. For example, we can write the expanded form of the number 3,94,658 in the following way: 8 x 1 = 8 5 x 10 = 50 6 x 100 = 600 4 x 1000 = 4000 9 x 10000 = 90000 3 x 100000 = 300000 So, the given number can be written in expanded form as: 3,94,658 = 300000 + 90000 + 4000 + 600 + 50 + 8 We can say there are three lakhs, nine ten thousands, four thousands, six hundreds, five tens, and eight ones in this given number.Difference Between Indian Numeral System and International Number System
The main difference between the Indian and international numeral systems is the nomenclature of different place values and the position of separators (commas). It is explained below.Naming conventions
The international system’s nomenclature corresponds to the Indian number system up to the first five digits, which means ten thousand. After that, the names no longer match. In the international system, after ten thousand places, there are hundreds of thousands, millions, ten million, hundred million, billions, and so on. The difference in nomenclatures between the Indian numeral system and the international number system is given below.|
Differences in Number Nomenclature: Indian Numeral System vs. International Number System |
|
| Indian Number System | International Number System |
| Nine places are grouped into four periods, such as ones, thousands, lakhs, and crores. | Nine places are grouped into four periods, such as ones, thousands, millions, and billions. |
| Place values are named as ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand, lakhs, ten lakhs, crores, and ten crores. | Place values are named as ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand, hundred thousand, millions, ten million, and hundred million. |
| Lakhs and crores are used in the Indian Numeral System. | Millions and billions are used in the International Numeral System. |
Use of Commas in Indian Numeral System
In international number system, the commas are placed after every three digits, starting from the right. It doesn’t follow the principle of a 3:2:2 ratio for placing commas as used in the Indian numeral system. Example Rewrite the number 3743592 in International numeral system and the Indian numeral system using commas. Write the number name of the given number as per the Indian numeral system and as per the International numeral system.Solution:
As per Indian number system, the given number is written as 37,43,592 The number is thirty-seven lakhs, forty-three thousand, five hundred ninety-two. International Number System: As per the international number system, the number is 3,743,592. The number's name is three million, seven hundred forty-three thousand, five hundred ninety-two.Placement of Zeros in Indian Numeral System
The placement of zeros in the Indian numeral system is based on place value. The table below shows the placement of zeros according to the periods used in the Indian number system.|
Placement of Zeros in the Indian Numeral System |
||
| Place value | Number of zeros | Number |
| One | 0 | 1 |
| Tens | 1 | 10 |
| Hundred | 2 | 100 |
| Thousand | 3 | 1000 |
| Ten thousand | 4 | 10000 |
| Lakhs | 5 | 100000 |
Formation of Numbers with Given Digits
Different numbers can be formed by arranging a given number of digits using the Indian numeral system. Example Write all three-digit numbers using digits 5, 3, and 6, taking each digit only once. We have to find three-digit numbers using the digits 5, 3, and 6 without repeating the digits. Keeping 5 at one's place, the three-digit numbers are 365 and 635. Keeping 3 at one's place, the three-digit numbers will be 563 and 653. Keeping 6 at one's place, the three-digit numbers formed are 536 and 356. So, all possible three-digit numbers formed by the given digits are: 365, 635, 563, 653, 536, and 356. The Indian number system provides a systematic and structured process of expressing numbers while following certain rules and methods. It allows simple ways to represent large numbers using digits and name them in words.| Related Articles | |
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Indian Numeral System FAQs
What is the base used in the Indian number system?
The Indian number system uses a base of 10.
What are the four main number systems?
The four main number systems are the decimal number system, binary number system, octal number system, and hexadecimal number system.
What does a million in the international system mean as per the Indian number system?
In the international number system, a million corresponds to ten lakhs in the Indian number system.
How can I easily read large numbers in the Indian numeral system?
Break the number into periods using commas based on the 3:2:2 rule, then read each period sequentially with its corresponding place value (e.g., crores, lakhs, thousands).
What is the value of 10 lakh in the International numeral system?
Ten lakh in the Indian numeral system is equivalent to one million in the International numeral system.
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