PC Musthafa, a name synonymous with innovation in India's ready-to-cook food sector, has an origin story that defies expectations. Once a school dropout earning a mere ₹10 a day on a Kerala coffee plantation, he now helms iD Fresh Food, a company that reported a staggering ₹681.38 crore in revenue for FY25.
A Humble Beginning in Wayanad
Musthafa grew up in Chennalode, a village near Kalpetta in Wayanad, Kerala. His father, a plantation laborer, had only completed Class 4, while his mother had no formal education. With the family's daily income hovering around ₹10, education was an unaffordable luxury. After failing Class 6, young Musthafa left school to support his family, working alongside his father.
The Turning Point: A Teacher's Intervention
What could have been the end of his academic journey became a new beginning, all thanks to a dedicated teacher. This teacher actively sought out dropouts, found Musthafa working, and convinced his parents to send him back to school. Recognizing the financial barrier, the teacher even paid for Musthafa's books. This second chance proved pivotal; Musthafa excelled, topping his classes, and went on to pursue engineering at NIT Calicut, followed by an MBA from IIM Bangalore.
From Software to Fresh Food: Founding iD Fresh Food
After graduating, Musthafa embarked on a successful career as a software engineer, working in various roles abroad. However, by 2005, he felt a pull to return to India and build something of his own. In Bengaluru, he teamed up with four cousins—Abdul Nazer, Shamsudeen TK, Jafar TK, and Noushad TA—to launch iD Fresh Food from a modest 50 sq ft kitchen. Their initial offering was simple: fresh, preservative-free idli-dosa batter, aiming to provide convenience to urban households.
Scaling to a ₹681 Crore Empire
From that small kitchen, iD Fresh Food experienced rapid growth, expanding its product portfolio to include a wide range of ready-to-cook items such as parotas, paneer, curd, chutneys, sambar, and filter coffee. The brand's reach now extends across India and into international markets including the UAE, UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Ireland, and Singapore.
In the financial year 2025, iD Fresh Food's revenue from operations surged by 22% to ₹681.38 crore, up from ₹557.85 crore the previous year. The company reported a net profit of ₹50.75 crore, which included a one-time deferred tax credit of ₹24.89 crore, placing its underlying profit around ₹26 crore.
At its core, iD Fresh Food's success mirrors Musthafa's own journey: the belief that small, impactful interventions can lead to outsized change. The boy who once quit school to support his family now leads a company that not only provides convenient food solutions but also creates significant employment opportunities, particularly for people from rural India.