PC Musthafa | Success story of a coolie’s son who built a 100-crore company

PC Musthafa is the CEO and co-founder of ID Fresh Foods. It is a food company that manufactures a range of fresh foods like Idly/Dosa Batter, Parotas, chapatis, curd, and paneer. Mustafa’s story is the true definition of rags to riches. His journey is inspiring, from being born into a poverty-stricken family to building a 100-crore company. Here’s his incredible success story. 

Early life

Belonging to a small village in Wayanad, Kerala, PC Musthafa was born to a coolie. During his childhood, Musthafa faced various hardships. The lack of opportunities and resources resulted in him failing in 6th grade. At age 10, he did an excellent job with his father and dropped out of school. However, one of his teachers convinced his father to keep Musthafa in school. After getting personal tuition from his teacher, Musthafa excelled in school and became the topper. He realized his full potential. After school, Musthafa got admission to the prestigious Regional Engineering College, now the National Institute of Technology, Calicut.

Musthafa graduated with a degree in Computer Science. After college, he worked at several companies like Motorola. Eventually, Musthafa started working in Citi Bank, Dubai, and received a salary of Rs 1.5 lakhs. With this money, he repaid all of his debts and provided a better living for his family. This was one of the proudest moments for his father. For the next seven years, Musthafa worked hard with passion and determination. After some time, he joined an MBA program at IIM Bangalore. He wanted to learn more about business and was always interested in opening his own company. 

Musthafa’s success 

During a meeting with one of his cousins, he suggested the idea of starting their own business of selling dosa batter in plastic bags. With limited capital, Musthafa and his cousins founded ID Fresh Foods. In a short period, the industry did wonders. Initially, Musthafa invested Rs 50,000 in the company and manufactured its products in a 50-square-foot kitchen with a grinder, mixer, and weighing machine. “It took us over nine months to sell 100 packets daily,” said Musthafa. In October 2006, ID Foods became a 100-crore company. Today, The company expects to touch 500 crores at the end of the 2021 fiscal year. 

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Forbes India listed PC Musthafa as “Tycoons of Tomorrow.” In addition, he is also the youngest recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Awards in the history of IIM Bangalore. With just a sale of 10 per day to 100 packets, a day ID has reached cities like Chennai, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Dubai. Musthafa’s hard work and determination have helped the company to reach new heights. 

Lessons we can learn from Musthafa’s story.

Despite all the hardships in his life, Musthafa achieved success. With hard work and perseverance, anything is possible. Firstly, there is no shortcut to success. Hard work is the only key to achieving it. It teaches us discipline, dedication, and determination. To become a successful entrepreneur, you must be passionate and willing to take risks. Above all, passion gives you the motivation and confidence to deliver your mission and purpose for what you do and why you do it. 

Recent Update:

In 2022, PC Musthafa’s “Meet your Neighbor” campaign returned with a significant impact. Initially, the campaign began in 2018. On occasion, PC Musthafa personally wrote letters to the apartment societies of three cities in India. In the letter, he wrote about the joy of knowing one’s neighbor over a hearty, tasty, and healthy meal. Through the campaign, Musthafa aims to narrow the gap between neighbors and share a meaningful relationship that’ll eventually bring hope and happiness to the community. Moreover, he talked about the country’s diverse culture, religious practices, languages, and people. But one thing that brings the diverse community together is food. With the “Meet your Neighbor” campaign, Musthafa aims to inspire people to share a meaningful and happy bond.

Also read: Kiran Bedi | The success story of the first female IPS officer of India