Jakarta, August 13, 2025 — A once-barren stretch of rural Indonesian land has been transformed, now supporting more than 2,000 villagers with meaningful jobs, thanks to Syailendra Bumi Investama (Syailendra BI), a social enterprise producing 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 people in remote areas of Brebes Regency, Central Java. Critical land stretched widely, while farmers lived in poverty without a sustainable source of income.
“In the beginning, we just wanted to find a simple solution: what kind of plant could survive on dry land without water during the dry season,” recalled Eliest.
Field research conducted in 2015 revealed the answer: citronella, one of the aromatic essential oil plants that can thrive in all seasons and revitalize the land. Education for residents then began, teaching environmentally friendly essential oil cultivation while also managing waste into value-added products through a zero-waste system.
A significant leap occurred at the end of 2020 when Syailendra Bumi Investama became Pertamina’s fostered partner through the Micro and Small Business Funding program, receiving IDR 100 million. This capital was used to strengthen production, operations, and marketing. The results were extraordinary. In just one year, turnover soared to IDR 1.2 billion, then reached IDR 3.5 billion in 2021, and surpassed IDR 4.5 billion in 2022, officially becoming a taxable entrepreneur.
Currently, Syailendra Bumi Investama regularly supplies essential oils to national exporters and the domestic aromatic industry. This MSME has also begun direct exports to France and Singapore, as well as expanding to 12 countries, including Switzerland, Canada, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Saudi Arabia, India, South Korea, and Brazil.
Currently, Syailendra BI has 200 distillation points in various provinces (except Papua), employs twelve permanent staff members and one academic expert, and empowers around 400 distillers and more than 2,000 farmers across Indonesia through the “Paguyuban Emas Hijau” (Green Gold Association).
As part of its commitment to continued growth and expanded impact, in 2025, DDistillers is participating in Pertamina UMK Academy 2025 and Pertamina SMEXPO Merah Putih, two strategic Pertamina programs focused on improving business capacity, marketing, and expanding the business network of its fostered MSMEs.
The VP Corporate Communication of PT Pertamina (Persero), Fadjar Djoko Santoso, stated, “Pertamina supports MSMEs like DDistillers that could turn challenges into opportunities while providing tangible benefits for thousands of farming families in Indonesia. It proves that strategic partnerships between state-owned enterprises and MSMEs can drive economic growth while preserving the environment.”
The success of DDistillers aligns with the Asta Cita of the Prabowo–Gibran Administration, Point 3: “Improving quality employment, promoting entrepreneurship, developing the creative industry, and continuing infrastructure development,” through the creation of thousands of productive rural jobs, empowering local entrepreneurs, and developing value-added products based on Indonesia’s natural wealth.
“For us, business is not just about profit, but about building hope. From land once considered useless, we have proven that there is a green and prosperous future,” Eliest concluded.
Pertamina, as a leading company in the energy transition, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. All these efforts align with Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) implementation across all Pertamina’s business lines and operations.**
Pertamina, P. (n.d.-c). Pertamina Develops MSME DDistillers, Transforming Critical Land into Jobs for More Than 2,000 Villagers. PT Pertamina (Persero). https://www.pertamina.com/en/news/pertamina-bina-umkm-ddistillers-ubah-lahan-kritis-jadi-lapangan-kerja-untuk-lebih-dari-2-000-warga-desa
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