Former Bira 91 employees protest outside founder Ankur Jain’s home over unpaid salaries, statutory dues

healthcare access, and household finances months after their exit from the company.However, employees noted that the CEO, Ankur Jain, was not at his residence during the demonstration.The group has also launched an Instagram page documenting employee grievances and the protest.The protest underscores the severity of the financial and governance crisis at B9 Beverages, once among India’s fastest-growing craft brewers. What began as delayed salary payments in late 2024 escalated into halted production, large-scale exits and mounting statutory disputes—raising broader questions around startup governance, employee protections, and accountability in venture-backed firms.Employees said repeated attempts to seek clarity on repayment timelines failed to yield firm commitments, prompting the decision to protest outside the promoter’s residence.“There is no other place for us to protest, except outside his house,” one employee said.Jain expressed regret over unpaid salaries.

“Because of the unresolved financial situation of the company for the last several quarters, 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.Discussions with new investors are on and expected to close before the end of this fiscal year, Jain added.The protest comes amid a prolonged financial crisis that began in 2024 and intensified through 2025, marked by production disruptions, employee exits and stalled payments.Beer production is learnt to have stopped from October 2025, and offices began shutting then, too. Former employees said company email servers are now largely inactive and offices appear vacant.From its most recently available