250 employees of Bira 91 seek removal of founder and CEO Ankur Jain over unpaid salaries: Report

Hundreds of employees at B9 Beverages, the parent company of Bira 91, have reportedly petitioned the company’s board and investors seeking a change in leadership, The Economic Times reported.

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According to the report, over 250 employees approached the board and key stakeholders, including Japanese beverage major Kirin Holdings, Peak XV Partners, and the company’s largest lender Anicut Capital, demanding the removal of founder and CEO Ankur Jain from his management role.

The petition, sent shortly after a company town hall in September, reportedly cited “corporate governance failures, lack of transparency, delays in salaries and employee dues”, and worsening financial health as reasons for the demand. Employees also pointed to pending vendor payments and ongoing creditor cases, which they said reflected “deteriorating financials.”

Salaries, TDS and PF Payments Delayed Citing multiple employees, the report said that salaries have remained unpaid for up to six months, with reimbursements pending since November 2024.

Around 50 employees also alleged that the company had not deposited their TDS for the past financial year, and that PF contributions were last made in March 2024. One employee told the newspaper that dues and reimbursements owed to around 500 employees amount to nearly Rs 50 crore. 

The company has also undergone several layoffs and exits, with the total workforce shrinking to about 260 employees, down from 700 last year. Founder Acknowledges Delays

Responding to the allegations, Ankur Jain acknowledged delays in employee payments, stating, “It is true that we have employee overdues that have been persisting.

These range between 3 and 5 months, depending on the level of employees, and include a delay in payments of tax dues as well.” However, Jain said the company was “not aware of any such petition addressed to key shareholders” and that the board had not received any formal communication.

He added that the company experienced “significant business disruptions” over the last 18 months, including a production pause in September, changes in liquor policy, a name change, and delays in fundraising efforts, which collectively disrupted operations and cash flow.

“These resulted in volume degrowth in FY25, complete disruption of the company’s business and cash flow for several months, and a pileup of overdues including statutory dues, employee dues, and vendor dues,” Jain said, expressing confidence that production would resume this month.

Bira 91, founded in 2015, had grown into one of India’s most recognized craft beer brands, backed by international investors such as Kirin Holdings and Sequoia Capital India (now Peak XV Partners). The company’s recent turmoil, however, marks one of the biggest challenges in its decade-long journey.