Former and current Bira91 employees hold protest at founder’s home over salary delays

More than 40 current and former employees of B9 Beverages gathered outside founder Ankur Jain’s residence in Delhi on Sunday, alleging prolonged non-payment of salaries and statutory dues at the maker of craft beer Bira91.

The protest, held in the upscale Defence Colony neighbourhood, marks a public escalation of a dispute that has simmered for months. Employees cited mounting personal financial strain, including unpaid rent, hospital bills, missed loan instalments and postponed school admissions.

According to Business Standard, which first reported the demonstration, protestors said they had approached multiple authorities without resolution and were now considering legal action. “We had no other option but to hold a silent march,” one protestor told the newspaper, requesting anonymity. “The next step… will be litigation.”

In October last year, around 90 current and former employees wrote an open letter to central government authorities, alleging persistent non-payment of salaries, provident fund contributions and tax deducted at source (TDS). Business Standard reported that the letter was addressed to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and other regulatory bodies.

The letter stated that over 600 families associated with B9 Beverages were facing severe financial hardship due to delayed payments and statutory dues.

Responding to emailed queries from Business Standard, Jain acknowledged the distress. “The distress, pain and anger of employees is completely understandable and we regret that employees and their families are suffering in this difficult situation,” he said, adding that the company was working to conclude matters “as soon as practicable”.

The salary dispute unfolds against a backdrop of financial strain at the company. According to data accessed by business intelligence platform Tofler and cited by Business Standard, B9 Beverages reported a 31.5% fall in revenue from operations to Rs 554.8 crore in FY24, down from Rs 810.1 crore a year earlier. Net losses widened to Rs 643.5 crore from Rs 391.4 crore over the same period.

Jain told employees in November that the company had identified a buyer for certain assets and that proceeds would be used to settle outstanding dues, including salaries and provident fund payments. However, in a subsequent email response cited by Business Standard, he said proposed asset sales were rejected by existing lenders and shareholders, preventing completion of the transaction.

The company’s operations have been “on pause since Q3FY26”, Jain said, adding that there had been no capital infusion from shareholders since April 2024, apart from a rights issue in June 2025. He maintained that discussions with stakeholders and potential new investors were at a final stage and could conclude before the end of the current fiscal year on March 31, 2026.

For employees, the timeline is critical. With negotiations ongoing and operations halted, the immediate question is whether fresh capital can be secured in time to settle dues — or whether the dispute will move from the streets of Defence Colony to the courts.