jpnn.com, BREBES – Once barren, dry, and unproductive, rural lands in Indonesia have now been transformed into a source of livelihood, empowering more than 2,000 villagers across the nation.
This major change has been driven by Syailendra Bumi Investama (Syailendra BI), a social enterprise that produces essential oils and vegetable oils under the DDistillers brand.
Founded in 2014 by Eliest Listiani, Syailendra BI was born out of concern for the socio-economic conditions of communities in remote areas of Brebes Regency, Central Java.
Vast stretches of critical land were left idle, while local farmers lived in poverty without sustainable income.
“At first, we simply wanted to find a practical solution: a plant that could survive in dry land without water during the dry season,” recalled Eliest.
Field research in 2015 revealed the answer: citronella (lemongrass), an aromatic essential plant resilient in all seasons and capable of revitalizing degraded land.
The company then began educating villagers on sustainable essential oil cultivation while also managing waste through a zero-waste system, turning by-products into value-added commodities.
A significant leap came at the end of 2020 when Syailendra BI became a partner of PT Pertamina (Persero) through its Micro and Small Business Funding Program (UMK), securing Rp 100 million in capital.
This investment strengthened production, operations, and marketing efforts.
The results were remarkable—within a year, revenue soared to Rp 1.2 billion, then reached Rp 3.5 billion in 2021, and exceeded Rp 4.5 billion in 2022, officially making the enterprise a registered taxpayer.
Today, Syailendra BI regularly supplies essential oils to national exporters and domestic aromatics industries. The enterprise has also begun direct exports to France and Singapore, expanding to 12 markets including Switzerland, Canada, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, India, South Korea, and Brazil.
Currently, Syailendra BI operates 200 distillation sites across various provinces (except Papua), employing 12 permanent staff, one academic expert, and empowering around 400 distillers along with more than 2,000 farmers across Indonesia through its “Paguyuban Emas Hijau” (Green Gold Cooperative).
As part of its commitment to growth and impact expansion, in 2025 DDistillers is participating in Pertamina UMK Academy 2025 and Pertamina SMEXPO Merah Putih, two strategic Pertamina programs focusing on capacity building, marketing, and business networking for SMEs.
Fadjar Djoko Santoso, VP of Corporate Communication at PT Pertamina (Persero), emphasized that Pertamina supports SMEs like DDistillers, which are able to turn challenges into opportunities while bringing tangible benefits to thousands of farming families in Indonesia.
“This is proof that strategic partnerships between state-owned enterprises and SMEs can drive both economic growth and environmental sustainability,” Fadjar said.
DDistillers’ success aligns with Point 3 of the Prabowo–Gibran administration’s Asta Cita: “Enhancing quality employment, promoting entrepreneurship, developing the creative industry, and continuing infrastructure development.” This has been realized through the creation of thousands of productive rural jobs, empowerment of local entrepreneurs, and value-added products rooted in Indonesia’s natural wealth.
“For us, business is not only about profit but also about building hope. From land once considered useless, we have proven that there is a green and prosperous future,” Eliest concluded.
As a leading company in energy transition, Pertamina remains committed to supporting Indonesia’s 2060 net-zero emission target by driving programs that directly contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
All of these initiatives are in line with Pertamina’s implementation of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) principles across its business and operations.
(mrk/jpnn)
Wahyudi, S. (2025, August 14). Pertamina Fosters SME DDistillers, Turning Critical Land into Jobs for Thousands of Villagers. Jpnn. https://m.jpnn.com/amp/news/pertamina-bina-umkm-ddistillers-ubah-lahan-kritis-jadi-lapangan-kerja-bagi-ribuan-warga-desa-1265728
Leave Your Comment