How Many Zeros in a Padma?
By Vinitha Published Updated
How many zeros in a padma? A padma has 15 zeros in the Indian numbering system: 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 — equal to one quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) in the international system, or 1015. The name "padma" comes from Sanskrit, where it referred to the lotus flower and was used symbolically for vast astronomical quantities. Zeros in a crore also looks at crore-to-million conversion.
A padma has
15
zeros
- Written Form
- 1 followed by 15 zeros
- Scientific
- 10¹⁵
- Western
- 1,000,000,000,000,000
Padma's Position Between Neel and Shankh
The direct answer: exactly 15 zeros. Each step up the traditional Indian scale adds two zeros, so padma has two more zeros than neel (13) and two fewer than shankh (17). To see the 10²¹ value and the extended Indian numbering scale, read ank zeros.
| Unit | Zeros | International equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Neel | 13 | 10 trillion |
| Padma | 15 | 1 quadrillion |
| Shankh | 17 | 100 quadrillion |
Coincidentally, a padma has the same number of zeros as a petabyte (1015 bytes) — though the two are unrelated; one is a counting unit, the other a digital storage unit.
What Does Padma Equal in the International System?
One padma equals one quadrillion — numerically an exact match for the SI prefix "peta-" used in petabyte storage. In terms of more common units: 1 padma = 1,000 trillion = 1,000,000 billion.
Why Padma Isn't Used in Modern Finance
- National budgets and GDP figures use crore or lakh crore instead
- At one million crore, padma is far too large for everyday reporting
- The term survives mainly in academic discussions of ancient Indian mathematics
Watch: How Many Zeros in a Padma?
How many zeros in a padma? A padma has 15 zeros — 1 followed by 15 zeros. Watch this short video for the zero count, the written form and the notation at a glance.
Zeros in a Padma: FAQ
What comes before a padma?
Quick answer
Neel comes right before a padma — it takes 100 neel to make one padma. To see 2-2-3 digit grouping and Indian comma placement such as 1,00,000, read how many zeros in a lakh.
What comes after a padma?
Quick answer
Shankh comes next, equal to 100 padma.
How many digits does a padma have?
A padma has 16 digits in total — that's the digit 1 followed by 15 zeros.
What is 100 padma called?
One hundred padma equals one shankh (1017), or 100 quadrillion.
Is a padma the same as a quadrillion?
Yes — a padma and a quadrillion are exactly the same value, 1015.
How many padma are in a shankh?
Exactly 100 padma make one shankh.
About the Author
Designer and Developer · Palakkad, Kerala, India
Vinitha holds a bachelor's degree in Textile and Apparel Design from Avinashilingam University, plus a C-Tech certificate in Graphic Design from Image Creative Education. She builds free, no-clutter reference tools like How Many Zeros. Read her full bio.