Over 250 employees of B9 Beverages, the company behind Bira 91 craft beer, have submitted a formal petition to the board and key investors demanding a leadership change.
The plea specifically calls for the removal of founder and CEO Ankur Jain from the company’s management, citing serious concerns around corporate governance, financial transparency, and delayed employee payments.
Bira 91 Employees Petition Highlights: Governance Failures and Financial Strain
The petition, addressed to investors including Kirin Holdings, Peak XV Partners, and the company’s largest lender Anicut Capital, outlines multiple grievances.
Employees allege corporate governance failures, lack of transparency in decision-making, and delays in salaries and reimbursements.
The document also references legal cases filed by creditors and unpaid vendor bills, pointing to deteriorating financial health.
Executives familiar with the situation confirmed that nearly all current employees have backed the petition.
The move follows a company-wide town hall held in September 2025, after which the petition was circulated internally and submitted to stakeholders.
Production Halt and Investor Pullout
Production at Bira 91 reportedly came to a standstill in July 2025.
Sources revealed that BlackRock, which had been in advanced talks to invest ₹500 crore in the promoter group, withdrew from the deal following the operational disruptions.
As of June 2025, Ankur Jain and his family held a 17.8 percent stake in the company, while Kirin Holdings remained the largest shareholder with 20.1 percent.
The company’s board includes Ankur, his mother, and his wife.
In response to media queries, Ankur stated that the company was unaware of any such petition and that the board had not received formal communication.
He acknowledged a pause in production during September and said operations were expected to resume in October.
Bira 91 Employee Grievances: Unpaid Dues and Tax Issues
Several employees reported that salaries have been delayed for up to six months, with reimbursements pending since November 2024.
One employee alleged that the company failed to deposit tax deducted at source (TDS) for over 50 employees in FY24 and did not make any TDS payments for FY25.
The last provident fund payment was reportedly made in March 2024.
The company owes more than ₹50 crore in pending dues to over 500 employees, including those who have exited.
The workforce has shrunk from over 700 employees last year to just over 260 currently, following multiple rounds of layoffs.
Management Response and Operational Restructuring
Ankur admitted to delays in payments and acknowledged that employee overdues had persisted for three to five months, depending on seniority.
He also confirmed delays in tax payments. The company has undertaken operational restructuring to focus on fewer states, reduce fixed costs, and improve margins.
This restructuring has led to a 50 percent reduction in headcount over the past 15 months.
B9 Beverages reported a net loss of ₹748 crore in FY24 on revenue of ₹638 crore.
Sales volume dropped to 6–7 million cases from 9 million in FY23. The company has not yet filed its FY25 financial results.
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