In November 2016, the sudden invalidation of India's old 500- and 1,000-rupee notes produced long queues outside banks and ATMs. The Indian Express reported anger and scuffles among people trying to deposit or exchange old notes and withdraw cash.
The new 2,000- and 500-rupee notes were different sizes, requiring about 200,000 ATMs to be recalibrated individually. Officials said normal operation could take two to three weeks. At the time, roughly 120,000 machines—60 percent of the total—were working.
The queues came from more than a shortage of notes. A secret policy decision collided with the physical specifications of cash machines. A nationwide monetary change was reduced to the speed at which one ATM after another could be adjusted.