Craft beer brand Bira 91’s parent company B9 Beverages has received a fresh legal notice from glass manufacturer Hindusthan National Glass & Industries Ltd (HNGIL), threatening civil and criminal action over allegedly unlifted bottle inventory.

HNGIL claims that Bira 91 is yet to pay outstanding dues of ₹11.19 Cr. In the notice dated June 5, HNGIL alleged that more than 51.42 Lakh customised glass bottles manufactured exclusively for Bira 91 remain stored at its facilities despite repeated requests for payment and stock lifting. The company claimed the inventory is worth over ₹7 Cr.

The glassmaker said it has sent the notice to B9 Beverages’ board and copied several investors, including Peak XV Partners, Sofina, BlackRock and Kirin Holdings.

Inc42 has reached out to Bira 91 founder Ankur Jain as well as the startup for their response on the notice. The story will be updated based on the responses.

As per the notice, the dispute relates to purchase orders placed by B9 Beverages in 2024 for customised glass bottles. HNGIL alleged that it manufactured the bottles during Bira 91’s corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP), which it said the latter hid while placing orders backed by bank guarantees.

HNGIL further alleged that, despite encashing bank guarantees worth ₹3.91 Cr, significant dues continue to remain unpaid. The company claimed that the brewer repeatedly assured it that payments would be made and inventory would be lifted but failed to honour those commitments.

HNGIL’s demand includes outstanding dues, interest, storage charges and mould charges, taking the total claim to ₹11.19 Cr. The company has asked B9 Beverages Ltd to clear the dues and provide a binding schedule for lifting the inventory within 15 days.

The glassmaker said the unlifted stock has blocked warehouse space and working capital while adding storage and handling costs. It also warned that it would initiate legal proceedings if its demands are not met.

The latest notice comes a month after HNGIL reportedly sought recovery of more than ₹8 Cr from the beer maker over alleged payment and contractual defaults.

Bira 91 was launched in 2015 by Jain and emerged as one of India’s earliest craft beer brands. Backed by investors including Peak XV Partners, Sofina and Kirin Holdings, the startup had  raised more than $200 Mn over the years and expanded its presence across India and several international markets. 

At its peak, Bira 91 positioned itself as a challenger to legacy beer brands through premium products, quirky branding and a strong focus on urban consumers.

However, thecompany has faced mounting financial and operational challenges over the past two years. In 2025, Bira 91 disclosed that disruptions linked to a corporate name change — removing the private from its name to become a public company — led to licencing issues across states, forcing a temporary halt in manufacturing and sales operations.

The company also wrote off inventory worth about ₹80 Cr and delayed vendor payments for several months. Jain had earlier said the company’s total liabilities stood at around ₹300 Cr as of May 2025.

The troubles have since deepened, with reports about delayed employee salaries, vendor disputes, investor disagreements and legal battles over company assets surfacing routinely. 

Last year, Inc42 reported that investors and lenders were seeking greater control over parts of the business amid concerns around governance and financial management. It has been reported that the investors are pushing for the resignation of CEO Jain.

Following financial distress and severe production hurdles, investors are said to have injected approximately ₹400 Cr to save the craft beer brand, which was conditioned on Jain’s exit. However, there’s no surety as to the fructification of the plans.

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