India, May 28 -- Why Dropping 'Private' Sent Bira 91 Into A Tailspin

What's there in a name, goes the old adage. Well, in the case of Bira 91 - everything. A mere change in the name has taken the brand back by at least a decade. Now, it's in the process of restarting from scratch but faces cash flow constraints and a substantial payment backlog, including vendor payments, statutory dues, and employee salaries.

But Why? The brand built its beer empire with licences in the name of B9 Beverages Private Limited. However, when it became a public entity (after its shareholders breached the 200 mark), it had to drop "Private" from its name to comply with India's regulations.

An action as simple as removing a word from the name snowballed into...