Failed Class 6, Survived On Rs 10 A Day, Today PC Musthafa Runs A Rs 681 Crore Food Empire | Education and Career News
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After failing Class 6, PC Musthafa stopped going to school and began working full-time. However, his mathematics teacher refused to let him give up on his education.
PC Musthafa’s father worked as a daily-wage labourer, earning around Rs 10 a day. (File Photo)
Born in Chennalode village in Kerala’s Wayanad district, PC Musthafa grew up in a poor family. He failed in Class 6 and left school, but one question from a teacher changed the meaning of his life. Later, Musthafa went on to study at NIT Calicut and IIM Bangalore and built iD Fresh Food, a company now reportedly valued at around Rs 681 crore, reported Moneycontrol.
Musthafa’s father worked as a daily-wage labourer, earning around Rs 10 a day. The family often struggled to afford basic necessities, and he started working with his father on a plantation when he was young.
Teacher’s question became the turning point
After failing Class 6, he stopped going to school and began working full-time. However, his mathematics teacher refused to let him give up on his education. The teacher if wants to spend his life doing the same hard labour as his father, or study and change his future. The teacher encouraged him to return to school and that meeting became the turning point in Musthafa’s life.
He returned to school and started performing well in his studies. In fact, he topped Class 7, did well in Class 10 and eventually secured Rank 63 in Kerala’s engineering entrance examination. He went on to study Computer Science Engineering at NIT Calicut and later completed a management programme at IIM Bangalore.
Moved to US
After completing his education, Musthafa moved abroad and worked for multinational companies in the Middle East and the US. He earned a good salary and was able to repay his father’s Rs 2 lakh loan within two months. However, he eventually decided to leave his corporate career because he wanted to start a business of his own.
Return to India
In 2005, he returned to Bengaluru and started a small food business with his cousins. The founders invested around Rs 50,000 in the venture, with Musthafa contributing Rs 25,000 from his savings. They began operations from a small 550-square-foot facility with just two grinders, a mixer and a sealing machine.
The idea behind the business was simple. Musthafa and his cousins wanted to provide fresh idli and dosa batter that was made without added preservatives. They started supplying the batter to local shops, but building the business was not easy. It took them nearly nine months to reach sales of 100 packets a day.
In the early days, Musthafa personally delivered the batter to shops on his scooter before sunrise. The business gradually grew, and the company was eventually named iD Fresh Food.
Today, the company has grown far beyond its humble beginnings. It sells idli and dosa batter along with parotas, paneer, curd, chutneys, sambar, ready mixes and filter coffee. Its products are available in more than 100 Indian cities and several international markets, including the UAE, US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Ireland and Singapore.
The company has also expanded its workforce significantly and now employs around 1,500 people. In FY25, the company reported operating revenue of Rs 681.38 crore, compared with Rs 557.85 crore in the previous financial year.
Musthafa’s journey is a reminder that academic failure, financial difficulties or a difficult beginning do not necessarily determine a person’s future.
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Ask News18PC Musthafa’s mathematics teacher refused to let him give up on his education after he failed Class 6 and asked him if he wanted to spend his life doing hard labour or study and change his future. This question encouraged Musthafa to return to school and became a turning point in his life.
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