A ₹80 Crore Mistake: How a Simple Name Change Shook Bira Beer’s Parent Company 

Mumbai: Imagine making a small tweak to your company’s name—only to watch it cost you a staggering ₹80 crore. That’s exactly what happened to B9 Beverages, the parent company of Bira Beer, one of India’s most popular craft beer brands. A minor name change turned into a financial nightmare, leaving the company reeling from losses. 

B9 Beverages Private Ltd decided to drop the “Private” from its name, rebranding as B9 Beverages Ltd in preparation for its 2026 IPO. On paper, it seemed like a harmless legal adjustment. But the real problem surfaced when the company had to reprint labels on every single beer bottle, rendering the old stock useless. 

The result? A massive ₹80 crore worth of beer stock had to be scrapped. According to an Economic Times report, this labeling issue stalled sales for months, amplifying the company’s losses by 68% in FY24. 

 By the Numbers: B9 Beverages' Financial Hit 

- Total loss in FY24: ₹748 crore 

- Sales in FY24: ₹638 crore (22% drop from FY23) 

- Negative cash flow: ₹84 crore 

- Total accumulated loss: ₹1,904 crore 

 “We Didn’t Expect This,” Says Bira’s Founder 

Speaking to Economic Times, Ankur Jain, founder of B9 Beverages, admitted that the name change led to unforeseen complications. The company had to wait 4-6 months for regulatory approvals and re-registration, during which sales were nearly frozen, despite strong demand. 

Adding to their troubles, policy changes in Delhi-NCR and Andhra Pradesh further disrupted operations. The company, which once sold 9 million cases a year, saw sales plummet to 6-7 million cases in FY24. 

 What’s Next for Bira? 

Bira started its journey by importing beer from Belgium but later shifted brewing to India to cut costs. Today, it operates through third-party breweries, but this recent financial blow has cast a shadow over its future. 

Can Bira bounce back from this setback? Or will this costly mistake leave a lasting dent in India’s favorite craft beer brand? Only time will tell.