Bira 91

What Bira 91 does

Bira 91 (legally B9 Beverages Limited, formerly B9 Beverages Private Limited) is an Indian craft beer manufacturer founded in 2015 by Ankur Jain and headquartered in New Delhi. The company produces a portfolio of premium craft beers built on wheat, barley and hops, differentiated through locally-sourced ingredients such as tea, wild honey and Nashik grapes and experimental flavours including honey ales and tea-infused variants. It was recognized as India's fourth-largest beer producer with roughly 5% market share in key regions as of 2023, operating across 18 countries through a multi-channel distribution network spanning state-wise retail, on-premise outlets (bars, pubs, restaurants), owned taprooms, and the acquired The Beer Cafe cafe chain.

The company's revenue model is unit-priced craft beer sales at premium price points, supplemented by on-premise and cafe-channel revenues. It pursues a horizontal segmentation approach targeting urban Gen Z and millennial consumers seeking differentiated, premium alternatives to mass-market beer from global brewers such as AB InBev, Carlsberg and Heineken. Marketing has historically relied on aggressive brand sponsorships, taproom experiences, and social media engagement.

Bira 91 has raised approximately USD 210 million in cumulative funding across multiple rounds, including a $70 million Series D from Kirin Holdings (November 2022) and $10 million from MUFG Bank (2023), from investors including Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India), Sofina, Kirin Holdings and Anicut Capital. The company is currently in severe financial distress following a January 2024 name change that triggered a state-by-state license re-registration crisis, an 80% revenue contraction in some markets, Rs 748 crore net loss in FY24, accumulated losses of Rs 1,904 crore, Rs 1,000 crore in liabilities, and a going-concern qualification from its auditor. Production halted around October 2025, the founder exited in July 2026 surrendering his 17.8% stake, and Anicut Capital now leads restructuring under investor-dominated governance.

Name

Bira 91

Legal name

B9 Beverages Limited

Website

https://bira91.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Bira 91 (B9 Beverages Limited) is an Indian craft beer manufacturer founded in 2015 that produces premium, locally-flavored wheat-based beers distributed across 18 countries to urban Gen Z and millennial consumers via retail, bars, restaurants and taprooms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer manufacturing
• Premium beer brand
• Beverage production
• Brewery operations
• Flavored craft beer

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Craft Beer Sales: Direct sales of Bira 91 craft beer products through retail outlets, bars, restaurants, and own taprooms

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bira 91 is a craft beer manufacturer that produces and sells a portfolio of premium craft beers made from wheat, barley, and hops, including flavored variants such as honey ales and tea-infused beers using locally-sourced ingredients like tea, wild honey, and Nashik grapes. The company distributes its beers through retail outlets, bars, restaurants, and its own taprooms across India and 18 international markets, and operates The Beer Cafe cafe-chain acquired in 2022.

Product overview

Bira 91 is a craft beer company that offers premium flavored beers including honey ales and tea-infused variants. The portfolio consists of the core Bira 91 craft beer brand, the acquired Kamakhya Beer & Bottling Private Limited brewery for production expansion, and The Beer Cafe retail chain. The company operates as B9 Beverages Ltd. (formerly B9 Beverages Private Limited) and was founded in 2015, positioning itself in India's premium craft beer segment against global giants AB InBev, Carlsberg, and Heineken.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bira 91 Craft Beer
• The Beer Cafe

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% market share in key Indian regions at peak
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• HNGIL (Hindustan National Glass & Industries)minorOthers · 1 June 2026HNGIL issued a legal notice to Bira 91 claiming ₹11.19 crore in outstanding dues including interest, storage and mould charges for customized glass bottles not lifted. This is a vendor/supplier dispute rather than a strategic partnership.
• Chhattisgarh DistilleriesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Bira 91 acquired Kamakhya Beer & Bottling Private Limited from Chhattisgarh Distilleries in a share swap deal, strengthening production capacity amid pandemic restrictions.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Independence Brewing Company: Indian craft brewery operating in the same craft beer space with taproom-driven distribution. Comparable on product positioning, though smaller in scale than Bira 91.
• Bombay Duck Brewing Company: Indian craft brewery focused on experimental flavors in the same premium craft segment. Comparable in scale and product innovation approach, though with a smaller geographic footprint.
• Cerana Brewing: India-focused craft brewery targeting urban premium consumers. Comparable on craft positioning and flavor innovation, though substantially smaller scale than Bira 91.

Regional players

• Devans Modern Breweries: Indian regional brewery (formerly Devans) producing beer under multiple labels across northern and eastern India. Comparable on brewing operations and Indian distribution but focused on mainstream rather than premium craft.

Direct peers

• United Breweries (Kingfisher): India's largest beer producer and the dominant player in the Indian mass-market beer segment with the Kingfisher brand. Directly competes with Bira 91 across on-premise and retail channels in India, with vastly larger distribution and production scale.
• White Owl Brewery: Mumbai-based craft brewery operating in the same premium Indian craft beer segment. Direct competitor on taproom experiences, flavored craft offerings, and urban on-premise distribution.
• Simba Craft Beers: India-based craft beer producer competing in the same premium craft segment as Bira 91 with similar urban Gen Z / millennial target customers and on-premise distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Heineken India: Global brewer with Indian joint venture operations. Competes in premium and mainstream segments and shares the same on-premise and retail channels that Bira 91 relies on.
• Carlsberg India: Global brewer with significant Indian operations and brands like Tuborg. Competes with Bira 91 across price tiers in the Indian beer market and has deep relationships with state-level distributors.
• AB InBev India: Global brewing giant operating Budweiser and other premium brands in India. Competes directly with Bira 91 in the premium beer segment with substantially greater marketing budgets and nationwide distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bira91
• Facebookfacebook.com/bira91sg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bira-91

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds19 records

Investors15 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bira 91