iD Fresh Food is encouraging employees to pursue entrepreneurship through a new policy that offers mentorship, access to the company’s business network and partially paid sabbaticals to those looking to start their own ventures.
Musthafa PC, global CEO of the Bengaluru-based food company, announced the initiative in a LinkedIn post, saying employees should not have to choose between pursuing their entrepreneurial ambitions and having financial security during the transition.
Under the policy, employees interested in starting their own businesses will receive three forms of support: access to iD Fresh Food’s ecosystem and partner network, mentorship from the company’s leadership team, and a partially-paid sabbatical to help them navigate the initial stages of setting up a venture.
The initiative draws on Musthafa’s own experience of building the company. iD Fresh Food began in a small Bengaluru kitchen with an initial investment of Rs 50,000. The founder said the support he received during the early stages of his entrepreneurial journey had shaped his decision to extend similar opportunities to employees.
The policy also allows employees to return to the company if their entrepreneurial ventures do not work out, offering them a potential safety net while pursuing an independent career path.
Musthafa acknowledged that losing experienced employees could be difficult for the organisation, but said he would take pride in seeing former team members build businesses of their own and create a wider social impact.
The approach is not entirely new in the corporate world. In 2021, Jack Altman, co-founder of US-based HR technology company Lattice, offered employees a $100,000 investment opportunity if they left the company to launch their own businesses. The initiative was inspired by the support Altman himself had received from a former employer when he decided to establish Lattice.
Through its new policy, iD Fresh Food is positioning entrepreneurship as a possible career path for employees, rather than viewing their departure to build independent ventures solely as an employee-retention challenge.
