Ntvnews.id, Jakarta — What was once barren, arid, and unproductive land in rural areas has now transformed into a source of livelihood, empowering more than 2,000 villagers across Indonesia. This remarkable change is driven by 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 communities in remote areas of Brebes Regency, Central Java. Vast stretches of critical land lay idle, while farmers lived in poverty without sustainable sources of income.
“At first, we just wanted to find a simple solution: what kind of plant could grow on dry land without water during the dry season,” recalled Eliest.
Field research in 2015 revealed the answer: citronella, an aromatic essential plant that thrives year-round and can help revitalize land. Education programs were launched to teach villagers environmentally friendly cultivation methods while also processing waste into value-added products under a zero-waste system.
A major breakthrough came in late 2020, when Syailendra Bumi Investama became a foster partner of PT Pertamina (Persero) through the Micro and Small Business Funding Program, receiving IDR 100 million in capital. This funding was used to strengthen production, operations, and marketing. The results were remarkable — within a year, revenue soared to IDR 1.2 billion, then rose to IDR 3.5 billion in 2021, and reached IDR 4.5 billion in 2022, officially making the company a taxable entrepreneur (PKP).
Today, Syailendra Bumi Investama regularly supplies essential oils to national exporters and the domestic aromatics industry. Beyond that, the SME has started direct exports to France and Singapore, while expanding its market to 12 countries, including Switzerland, Canada, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, India, South Korea, and Brazil.
Currently, Syailendra BI operates 200 distillation points across various provinces (except Papua), employs 12 permanent staff and 1 academic expert, and empowers around 400 distillers and over 2,000 farmers nationwide through its community network, Paguyuban Emas Hijau (Green Gold Association).
As part of its commitment to growth and broader impact, in 2025 DDistillers is participating in Pertamina UMK Academy 2025 and Pertamina SMEXPO Merah Putih, two strategic Pertamina programs focused on enhancing business capacity, marketing, and expanding the networks of supported MSMEs.
VP Corporate Communication of PT Pertamina (Persero), Fadjar Djoko Santoso, stated:
“Pertamina supports MSMEs like DDistillers, which are able to turn challenges into opportunities while delivering real benefits for thousands of farming families in Indonesia. This proves that strategic partnerships between state-owned enterprises and MSMEs can drive economic growth while promoting environmental sustainability.”
The success of DDistillers aligns with Point 3 of the Asta Cita Program of the Prabowo–Gibran Administration, namely: ‘Improving quality jobs, encouraging entrepreneurship, developing the creative industry, and continuing infrastructure development.’ This is achieved by creating 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 deemed useless, we have proven that there is a green and prosperous future ahead,” Eliest concluded.
As a leader in energy transition, Pertamina remains committed to supporting Indonesia’s 2060 net-zero emission target by promoting programs that directly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All these efforts are carried out in line with the implementation of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) principles across all of Pertamina’s business lines and operations.
Fikri, M. (2025, August 14). Pertamina Supports MSME DDistillers, Turning Critical Land into Jobs for Over 2,000 Villagers. Ntvnews.id. https://www.ntvnews.id/ekonomi/0160164/pertamina-bina-umkm-ddistillers-ubah-lahan-kritis-jadi-lapangan-kerja-untuk-lebih-dari-2000-warga-desa
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