How to Caption Indian Phone Numbers, Dates, Rupee Amounts and Measurements

When a speaker says 'paanch lakh rupaye', the subtitle should read '5,00,000' or '5 lakh' - never '500,000'. The Indian numbering system groups digits differently after the thousands place: ones, thousands, lakhs, crores. This comma placement (1,00,00,000 for one crore) looks wrong to Western readers but is instantly readable to Indian viewers. Always use the system your audience expects.

For mixed audiences, consider writing the word form alongside the numeral on first mention: '5 lakh (500,000)'. For purely Indian audiences, just use the Indian format. If your content is in English but targeted at India, the Indian grouping system is still the correct choice - Indian English uses lakhs and crores, not millions and billions.

The Indian rupee symbol is placed before the number with no space in formal writing, though colloquial usage varies. In subtitles, use whichever format matches the spoken content: if the speaker says 'five hundred rupees', write 'Rs 500' or '500 rupees'. If they say a price casually, the numeral alone with context works too. Avoid the dollar sign or generic currency symbols.

For large amounts spoken as 'do lakh' or 'pachaas hazaar', decide between the numeral format (Rs 2,00,000) and the word format (Rs 2 lakh) based on readability at subtitle speed. Word format is often faster to read in captions because viewers process 'Rs 2 lakh' more quickly than counting zeros in 'Rs 2,00,000' during a brief subtitle display.

India follows the dd/mm/yyyy date format. When a speaker says 'fifteen August', write '15 August' or '15/08' - never '8/15' which is the American month-first format. For times, India uses both 12-hour (with AM/PM) and 24-hour formats; match the speaker's usage. IST (Indian Standard Time) should be spelled out on first mention if the audience is international.

Indian measurements include both metric and traditional units. Heights are often stated in feet and inches, distances in kilometers, weights in kilograms, and land in square feet or acres. When a speaker uses traditional units like 'tola' (gold weight) or 'bigha' (land area), keep the original term and add a metric equivalent in parentheses only if the international audience would be lost without it.

Indian mobile numbers are 10 digits, typically spoken in groups of 3-3-4 or 5-5. Caption them as spoken: if the speaker says 'nine eight seven six, five four three, two one zero zero', write '9876-543-2100' or '98765 43210' - matching the grouping the speaker uses helps viewers note the number. Include the +91 country code only when the speaker mentions it.

For addresses, Indian format places the building name or number first, then street, area, city, state, and PIN code. In subtitles, only include as much of the address as the speaker actually says. Do not expand abbreviations (like 'MG Road') unless the speaker does. PIN codes are 6 digits and should not be formatted with any separators.