Rags to riches success stories are most motivating as they prove that despite all adversities in life, one can achieve success through undettered spirit and determination. One such inspiring success story is that of PC Musthafa, the CEO of iD Fresh Food, a Rs 3,000 crore company which he founded.
Musthafa belongs to a lower-middle-class family in a small village in Kerala's Wayanad, where his father worked as a daily wage labourer. He left school after failing in class 6th and used to help his father in farm work. They used to earn Rs 10 per day. Mustafa and his siblings did odd jobs to fend for their family, like selling firewood in his village at the age of 10. He then made Rs 150 and made his first financial investment.
Thereafter, a teacher assisted him to return to school. Then, he sold a goat to buy a cow for his family. Consequently, the family was able to sustain themselves as the milk from the cow earned them some money.
Later, a few savings and investments allowed him to get admission to the National Institute of Technology (NIT), and complete a degree in computer science. Thereafter, he secured an IT job at Motorola and then moved to Citibank in Dubai.
However, he moved to India and completed an MBA from the renowned Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. During his MBA, Musthafa, in partnership with his cousins, established a startup to make dosa and idli batter in 2005. His own breakfast foods company delivered ready-to-eat packaged food with an investment of Rs 50,000.
Thereafter, they diversified and started supplying idli and dosa batter, which was a momentous strategy.
Gradually, the sales of iD Fresh Foods soared and it became a renowned name in breakfast foods. Musthafa explained that what differentiates his company and strategy from other brands is that they don’t use any chemicals as raw materials.
