Bira 91 founder's exit leaves former employees asking: What about our unpaid dues?

Jain's mother, Shashi Jain, and wife, Ankeeta Pawa, were also part of the company's leadership.

The settlement also provides for the withdrawal of all claims and litigation between the parties and the release of personal guarantees Jain had provided for corporate loans.

Calling the agreement the “right outcome” for both himself and the company, Jain said B9 Beverages now needs fresh capital, a clean balance sheet and a new management team to lead its next phase. He also apologized to employees over unpaid salaries.

“I am sorry to every employee who didn't get what they were owed, when they were owed it. That is on me, and I will carry it,” he wrote.

Unanswered dues

Former employees said the post addressed Jain's own exit and settlement but offered no indication of how outstanding employee dues would be paid.

"He has apologized, but there is no clarity on what happens to pending dues of former employees. The post only talks about the settlement concerning him," one former employee told Mint, requesting anonymity.

Another former employee said an apology no longer addressed employees' concerns.

“'Sorry' is not enough. For months, employees were given assurances that their dues would be cleared, but those promises never became reality. This resignation letter again speaks about personal sacrifices and closure, yet there is no concrete commitment, timeline or payment plan for employees who are still waiting for their rightful salaries and statutory dues,” the person said.

“A settlement for the founder cannot come before justice for employees. Employees don't need sympathy anymore. They deserve accountability, transparency and the payment of what they have rightfully earned,” the person added.

Mint emailed and messaged Jain on 21 and 22 July seeking confirmation on his exit, the settlement and the status of employee dues. Queries remained unanswered till press time. Anicut Capital, one of the company's key investors, also did not respond to Mint's queries.

A third former employee, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Mint on 21 July that Jain's exit was expected as part of an ongoing settlement process.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. Looks like another PR stunt to clean his (Ankur Jain’s) own image. His post provides no clear timelines, no employee related information which includes no calrity on TDS payments and provident fund dues, or salary dues.... A whole year has been wasted and employees are still begging for what they are owned. As Ankur (Jain) used to say in his townhall meetings.. ‘till the money is credited in the account, we should not trust anyone’,” another former employee added.

Months in the making

Mint reported in April that Jain had been asked to resign and was expected to exit as investors and lenders moved to stabilize the cash-strapped craft brewer.

According to people familiar with the matter, the leadership transition was intended to pave the way for a professional management team and a lender-backed restructuring, with existing investors prepared to infuse about ₹400 crore at a sharply reduced valuation, along with an option to provide another ₹100 crore.

Stakeholders were then pursuing an out-of-court restructuring to avoid insolvency proceedings. The company, backed by investors including Peak XV Partners, Sofina, Anicut Capital and Japan's Kirin Holdings, had come under mounting financial stress following a prolonged funding squeeze and operational disruptions.

The crisis had been building for months.

Mint reported in March that around 50 former B9 Beverages employees protested outside Jain's New Delhi residence over unpaid salaries, delayed provident fund deposits and other statutory dues after leaving the company. They said delayed wages, pending provident fund deposits and tax discrepancies had disrupted loan repayments, healthcare access and household finances.

At the time, Jain acknowledged the distress caused to employees in an email to Mint and said the company's packaged beer business had been on pause since the third quarter of FY26, with no fresh capital infusion since April 2024, while discussions with investors for a funding round were underway.

Mint also reported that beer production had stopped around October 2025, offices had largely shut and operations were running on an extremely lean cost structure.

Creditors, including Devyani International, had initiated proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal, while the company had received Maharashtra tax notices worth ₹26 crore.

B9's financial performance had deteriorated sharply, with revenue falling to ₹638.5 crore in FY24 from ₹824.3 crore a year earlier, and losses widening to ₹748.8 crore from ₹445.4 crore. By then, the workforce had shrunk significantly from around 900 employees, with only a small number continuing to work without pay as the company grappled with a prolonged funding crisis.

Mint had earlier reported that employee salary and statutory dues were estimated at around ₹100 crore, a figure Jain disputed, saying the actual liability was a “small fraction” of that estimate.