As the country transitions from one form of the $100 bill to another, one former trade minister believes the changeover should have happened next year, to evade the rush happening now.

Two of Vasant Bharath's biggest concerns are the possibility of more counterfeit cotton notes in the system before the changeover is complete; and the great inconvenience to the public, who will need to line up at the nation's banks to change their cash.

Change-over time too short