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PC Mustafa did, growing up in a poor family in Kerala’s Wayanad district.
As a child, it was very tough for him. (Dropout to school)
Mustafa did odd jobs like selling firewood to help support his family.
He was good at Math. So, he somehow managed to do engineering at NIT.
An executive MBA at IIM Bangalore.
At this point, he was good at his career. BUT…
One day in Bangalore, he saw the rising demand for Idli. But it was unregulated, unhygienic and lower in quality.
He saw the opportunity. And
➡️ In 2005, Mustafa founded iD Fresh Food with his four cousins
– Shamsudeen TK, Abdul Nazer, Jafar TK, and Noushad TD.
👉 They started with an initial capital of just ₹50,000.
The company began by supplying 10 packets of 1kg idli/dosa batter to 20 stores in Bengaluru from a 550 sq ft space with basic equipment.
[𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲]
➡️ iD Fresh Food made a profit from day one.
🎯 Mustafa reinvested ₹6 lakh.
↳ to add more machines and move to an 800 sq ft space.
🎯 With Mustafa investing another ₹40 lakh.
↳ As demand grew, the company relocated to a 2,500 sq ft shed in Hoskote in 2008
🎯 In 2009, he invested ₹30 lakh more from selling property.
👉 By 2011, iD Fresh Food was making 2,000 kg of batter daily and supplying 300 stores.
➡️ If you say funding, then
In 2014, iD Fresh Food raised ₹35 crore in its first funding round from Helion Venture Partners.
By 2016, the company was manufacturing 50,000 kg of batter daily from units across India.
And Dubai, producing a million idlis.
👉 iD Fresh Food’s revenue grew from ₹100 crore in 2015-16 to ₹182 crore in 2017-18.
🎓 The Lessons
✅ Mustafa’s unwavering belief in his dream fueled the company’s growth.
✅ Their commitment to fresh, chemical-free products built trust and a loyal customer base.
✅ Embracing technology streamlined operations and enabled efficient scaling.
✅ They diversified their product range and expanded geographically,
both within India and internationally.
✅ Effective marketing and customer engagement played a vital role in their success.
