In pubs and homes, Bira’s beers were the toast of one & all. Then this happened
₹1 crore from Bira, pending for a year. Both Suri and Marwah did not respond to Mint’s requests for further clarifications. An email sent to Bira requesting clarification on Suri’s claims remained unanswered.
Late payment of dues is a recurring theme with B9 Beverages, which over the last few years has diversified into many businesses. Under the Bira 91 brand, the company sells beer, cider ale and seltzers. It once sold hot sauce.
Apart from Bira Taproom, its bar business also includes The Beer Cafe. Three vendors Mint spoke to said payments have increasingly been erratic over the last two years. One person who supplies advertising material to Bira said a payment of ₹25 lakh has been pending for nine months.
He didn’t want to be identified. He approached many executives in the company, including the company’s vice president of supply chain, Nawlendu Ranjan, requesting payment. But nothing worked, he added.
“After Bira’s funding round last time, they paid us immediately and cleared all the dues. More recently, they simply say ‘we don't have any money to pay you’. Rula diya hai (we are in tears)," the person said.
The funding round he refers to came in 2023 when B9 Beverages raised about $21 million in total, led by Japanese beer company Kirin Holdings. In June this year, the company raised another round—$50 million—from Kirin Holdings, Peak V and Tiger Pacific among others. Despite the funding, the company may still be tight on funds.
Four distributors Mint spoke to said the shortage of funds is taking a toll on the availability of its beers. Anecdotal evidence suggests that its premium wheat beer is now perennially in short supply in Delhi national capital region (NCR) and other regions in north India. Meanwhile, the
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