Failed Class 6, worked on plantations: How P.C. Musthafa built iD Fresh Food worth ₹4,450 crore

P.C. Musthafa's journey from a school dropout working on coffee plantations in Kerala to building one of India's most successful packaged food companies is a remarkable story of resilience and entrepreneurship.

The founder of Bengaluru-based iD Fresh Food, now valued at around ₹ 4,450 crore, overcame poverty, academic setbacks and financial hardship to create a brand that has become a household name across India.

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Musthafa was born in Chennalode, a remote village near Kalpetta in Kerala's Wayanad district, where there were no proper roads or electricity. His father, Ahmed, worked as a coolie on coffee plantations after studying only till Class 4, while his mother had never attended school. The family survived on barely ₹ 10 a day, forcing young Musthafa to leave school after failing Class 6 and begin working alongside his father in the fields, according to Moneycontrol.

His life changed when a school teacher spotted him working on the plantation and persuaded his parents to send him back to school, even paying for his books. Determined to make the most of the opportunity, Musthafa excelled in academics, eventually graduating from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut before earning a management degree from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bengaluru. He later worked as a software engineer before deciding to become an entrepreneur.

The idea behind iD Fresh Food came during a discussion with his cousin Shamsuddin, who noticed unhygienically packed idlis and dosa batter being sold in local stores. In 2005, Musthafa invested ₹ 25,000 of his entire savings and joined hands with five cousins to launch the business from a modest 550-square-foot facility equipped with just two grinders, a mixer and a sealing machine. The total initial investment stood at ₹ 50,000.

The early days were far from easy. It took the founders nearly nine months to reach sales of 100 packets a day. However, persistence paid off as demand steadily grew. Today, iD Fresh Food sells fresh batter and other ready-to-cook products in more than 100 cities across India. The company reported revenue of around ₹ 680 crore in FY25, has maintained a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 20% over the past five years, and aims to achieve ₹ 2,500 crore in revenue over the next four years, according to Moneycontrol.

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Moneycontrol further reported that iD Fresh Food is currently valued at approximately ₹ 4,450 crore, while Musthafa's personal stake in the company is estimated to be worth around ₹ 1,140 crore, citing Tracxn data. Today, the entrepreneur often shares his story to inspire young people, emphasising that failure in school or humble beginnings need not define one's future.