Overview
- A settlement signed on Wednesday ended a nearly two‑year dispute and saw founder Ankur Jain and his family resign from B9 Beverages’ board and give up a combined 17.8% holding.
- Under the deal Jain will be released from personal liabilities including loan guarantees and both sides have agreed to withdraw pending litigation.
- Existing investors and lenders have agreed to pursue a recapitalisation intended to clear statutory, employee and vendor dues and restart production, though financing and state-level approvals are not yet finalised.
- The company’s collapse followed regulatory and operational disruption after it converted to a public company ahead of a planned IPO, which required fresh excise approvals across states and forced large inventory write-offs and halted sales.
- B9 raised more than $200 million since 2015 and lists backers such as Peak XV, Sofina and Kirin, but its liabilities have been widely reported near ₹1,000 crore and employees and suppliers have faced delayed payments.