Indian Number System
India uses lakh and crore because its traditional numbering system groups large numbers differently from the international thousand–million–billion system.
In the Indian numbering system, large values are commonly expressed using lakh and crore. One lakh equals 100,000, while one crore equals 10,000,000.
These terms remain widely used in India because they are familiar, practical, and deeply established in everyday speech, finance, salaries, property listings, government budgets, and business reporting.
1 lakh = 100,000
A lakh is commonly used for salaries, savings, education expenses, vehicles, and property values. For example, ₹10 lakh means ₹10,00,000, which equals one million rupees.
1 crore = 10,000,000
A crore is used for larger amounts such as company revenue, real estate, major investments, public spending, and net worth. One crore equals 100 lakh or 10 million.
The international system groups digits in sets of three:
10,000,000
The Indian system keeps the final three digits together, then groups the remaining digits in pairs:
1,00,00,000
Both numbers represent the same value. The difference is only in how the digits are grouped and spoken.
| Indian term | Indian format | International format | International term |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lakh | 1,00,000 | 100,000 | One hundred thousand |
| 10 lakh | 10,00,000 | 1,000,000 | One million |
| 1 crore | 1,00,00,000 | 10,000,000 | Ten million |
| 10 crore | 10,00,00,000 | 100,000,000 | One hundred million |
| 100 crore | 1,00,00,00,000 | 1,000,000,000 | One billion |
Millions and billions are understood and sometimes used, especially in international contexts, but lakh and crore remain more natural and familiar in domestic Indian usage.
Lakh and crore are also widely understood and used in several South Asian countries and communities.
One crore equals 100 lakh.
Yes. One crore equals 10,000,000, which is ten million in the international numbering system.
LPA means lakh per annum. A salary of 10 LPA means ₹10 lakh per year.