More than 250 workers at B9 Beverages, the firm that makes Bira 91 speciality beer, have demanded that founder Ankur Jain be fired from management and that the company’s leadership be changed. The workers petitioned the company’s board, the biggest lender, Anicut Capital, and significant investors, Kirin Holdings and Peak XV Partners.
According to ET, the corporation hosted a town hall in September in response to the petition. The workers’ petition stated that they were demanding a change in leadership because of “corporate governance failure, lack of transparency, delays in employee dues and salaries”, as well as creditor proceedings that highlighted “deteriorating financials” and unpaid vendor bills.
Bira 91’s Production Halted
Nearly every current employee signed the petition, according to a source.According to executives with knowledge of the matter, Bira 91’s production stopped in July. BlackRock, which was negotiating to lend the promoter group INR 500 crore in debt, has also pulled out of the talks. Jain, his mother, and his wife are on the board of the corporation.
Jain and his family owned 17.8% of the company as of June 2025, with Kirin Holdings holding the largest interest (20.1%). Jain responded to the petition by stating that the business is not aware of any such petitions sent to important shareholders. There had been no official contact to the board, he continued. Although he admitted to a “pause” in production in September, he anticipates that it will resume this month.
A number of workers informed ET that reimbursements had been unpaid since November 2024 and that salaries have been six months behind schedule. For all employees this fiscal year and for more than fifty employees during the previous fiscal year, tax deducted at source has not been deposited.
What Caused the Stir Among Bira 91 Employees?
Over 500 workers, many of whom have left the company, still owe INR 50 crore in unpaid salaries. “In addition, there have been numerous exits and layoffs,” one worker stated. From over 700 last year, the workforce has now decreased to just over 260. “It is true that we have employee overdues that have been persisting,” Jain said, acknowledging the delays.
Depending on the number of employees, these can last anywhere from three to five months. They also involve a delay in paying taxes that are owed. He claimed that by concentrating on fewer states, cutting expenses, and increasing margins, the corporation has reorganised its operations.
“This has required making difficult decisions about cost reduction, such as cutting the number of employees by almost 50% in the last 15 months.” With sales volumes down to 6-7 million cases from 9 million in FY23, B9 Beverages recorded a net loss of INR 748 crore in FY24 on revenue of INR 638 crore. According to an ET report, FY25 figures have not yet been submitted.
Volume declines and a backlog of employee, vendor, and statutory dues were the results of “significant business disruptions” over the previous 18 months, according to Jain, which were brought on by changes in the company name, changes in the spirits policy, and delays in fundraising. Production plants in Gwalior and Nagpur, he claimed, were “live” in July and August, took a break in September, and are anticipated to start up again this month.
Quick Shots
•Over
250 employees of B9 Beverages (maker of Bira 91) have petitioned to remove
founder Ankur Jain from management.
•The
petition was sent to the company’s board, Anicut Capital, and investors Kirin
Holdings and Peak XV Partners.
•Workers
allege corporate governance failures, lack of transparency, and six-month
salary delays.
•Production halted in July 2025;
most employees reportedly signed the petition.
Ankur Jain is an Indian entrepreneur who founded Bira 91, an Indian Multinational craft beer brand. He is the CEO and Founder of B9 Beverages Private Limited. The parent company B9 Beverages manufactures the beer Bira 91. He launched his beer venture in 2015 and it eventually grew and executed exceptional results from 2017.
Ankur was born in 1981 in Delhi. He moved to United States in 1998. His father is an urban planner Architect and his mother is an Author as well as an Interior Designer. He went abroad for his education. He is married and expecting a baby post lockdown.
Ankur Jain, Founder Bira 91
Ankur Jain- Education
Ankur completed his Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Illinios Institute of Technology, Chicago in 2002. He worked with Motorola for a short while. He then started his first venture in Healthcare Revenue Management in New York.
Ankur Jain- Professional Life
After completing his studies in 2002, Ankur continued with his entrepreneurial journey for four consecutive years in US. He then returned to India after selling the New York health-care start up to an undisclosed healthcare provider network. The Healthcare Revenue Management got a new owner and Ankur got good returns. In 2007, he got a job at Reliance Industries but left it post a year. He further decided to start his own venture as a beerpreneur. He has a great taste in beers. He accorded that he wants to taste each and every beer of the world.
When Ankur acceded to his father that he wanted to become a beerpreneur, his father didn’t spoke to him for around four years. Though his beer brand Bira 91 was launched in 2015 via B9 Beverages, but his journey of becoming a beerpreneur started when he returned to India in 2007.
In 2008, Ankur started his own venture by importing 20-30 types of beer, which did not exist in India. His engagement in the beer import aided him to learn the taste of the youths. He started discerning the fact that the youth generally preferred lighter flavors and wheat beers. He was well acquainted with the correct point price that made Indian customers delighted to shell. Ankur was thus ready to establish his own beer brand with brilliant efficacy.
It has been a tough journey for Ankur to escort investors and make them believe in his business plan of international expansion. Today, his venture is one of the fastest growing craft beer brands out of India.
B9 Beverages Private Limited manufactures alcoholic beverages. The company offers varied flavors of beer. The company serves the customers across United States and India. B9 Beverages owns and sells craft beer brand Bira 91. It is headquartered in New Delhi, India.
Ankur serves as the CEO of the B9 Beverages. He founded the company in 2015. The company has raised $20 million in bridge financing from investors – India’s Sequoia Capital and Belgium’s Sofina.
Bira 91 is a beer brand manufactured by B9 Beverages Pvt. Ltd., launched in 2015. The company distill beers with ingredients imported from France, Belgium, Himalayas, and Bavarian Farmes. This is how the beer is brought in India with the essence of ingredients circumscribing different parts of the globe.
In 2019, the company developed two new breweries in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The company is expanding locally as well as internationally to bid a quadruple production capacity. Currently, it operates four breweries in India and has a presence in 400 cities across 10 nations.
It has been anticipated that Bira 91 may achieve a $502 billion mark by 2025. The market is expected to grow owing to the heavy demand of craft beers. The company counts more than 5% share in overall beer market and more than 20% in premium beer.
Bira 91 – Name & Logo
Bira 91 Logo
Bira 91 derived its name from Punjabi word Bira which literally means elder brother. Bira also signifies the brave one in Bengali. While, 91 represents India’s country code, connoting the brand’s roots. The reverse B in the logo signifies a spirit of nonchalant. The monkey mascot represents the urban millennial as the key consumer of Bira 91. Moreover, it manifests the idea of presenting the brand with a playful identity. Bira 91 has also launched its T-shirts, bags, growlers, ice-bucket and beer mugs.
Bira 91 – Funding
Initially, B9 Beverages received an investment of worth $6 million from Sequoia capital India in 2016. Ankur raised $1.5 million from the first investment. It was the very first investment of Sequoia Capital in the Alcohol Beverage segment. Some of the Angel investors of India also invested for the firm.
In 2018, the company has received a funding of $50 million by Sofina, a Belgium investment firm. This investment helped the company to grow with $100 million funding. In 2019, Sixth Sense Ventures invested for the firm of worth $4.3 million.
The apt investments succored support and encouragement and the company eventually expanded to more markets in the United States and Southeast Asia. The funding will also help Bira 91 to leave a footprint on the global market of beer business.
The name Bira does not stand for anything literally, however, colloquially it is how a Punjabi would call his brother, and 91 represents India’s Country Code. The reverse B in the logo represents a spirit of irreverence.
Is Bira Beer good for health?
Bira 91, recently launched one of the first low-calorie beers to be introduced in the Indian market (90 calories for a 330 ml bottle). According to Jain, said, “Bira 91 Light is the lowest calorie option for any alcoholic beverage in the bar.
Which Bira is best?
Bira White is a favorite among the most vehement opposers of beer. It’s a delicious wheat beer that contains a hint of spicy citrus with a soft finish, ideal for the non-beer-drinkers.
Why is Bira so famous?
With the Belgians being world-renowned for their brewing expertise, Bira 91’s two initial beers were quickly a hit in India. So much so that Bira 91 couldn’t import the bottles quickly enough, and in 2016 it started making the beers at a facility in the central Indian city of Indore.
Why is it called Bira 91?
Originally named after the Punjabi word for brother, Bira, the 91 is derived from the country code you dial for India. Ankur Jain, founder-CEO, describes the beer as “smart and fun at the same time, but not pretentiously so.” ‘Can’t be a Delhi-ite,’ I think, as he says it, though the brand debuted in Hauz Khas Village.
Conclusion
“I am a very big beer drinker and work and play is all the same for me. To bust stress I like to go on a weekend trip, and also like cooking vegetarian fare,” says Ankur Jain.
Ankur Jain wants to be more proactive to make the Bira 91 premium brand in the Indian market. Bira 91, a whole new beer world, full of flavours, has been discovered and the beer is going to rule the world. The name Bira does not stand for anything literally, however colloquially it is how a Punjabi would call his brother and 91 represents India’s Country Code. The reverse B in the logo represents a spirit of irreverence.
