Chandigarh, May 12 – In the small village of Damla in Haryana’s Yamunanagar district, a remarkable story of resilience and innovation is unfolding, one that has not only transformed the life of Dharambir Kamboj, a farmer from Damla village, but has also made a global impact. Despite having formal education only up to the 10th grade, Dharambir has developed a multipurpose food processing machine that is now used in 18 countries across the world.
Dharambir’s path to success was anything but easy. Due to financial struggles, he moved to Delhi in the 1980s and took up work as a rickshaw puller. After a life-changing accident, he returned to his village and turned to farming, cultivating aloe vera and tulsi on his ancestral land. However, low returns from selling raw produce led him to a pivotal realization: to increase profits, he needed to process the crops himself.
Unable to afford expensive equipment, Dharambir did the unthinkable—he built his own machine. With support from the horticulture department, which provided Rs. 25,000 in initial funding, he developed a rosewater extraction device. Through persistent experimentation and innovation, he transformed it into a versatile machine capable of handling over a dozen food processing tasks.
Today, Dharambir’s multi purpose food processing machine can extract juice without crushing seeds, grind, mix, extract oils, distill rosewater, prepare aloe vera gel, roast, peel vegetables, make khoya, gajar ka halwa, and much more. Products like amla murabba, candies, soaps, herbal gels, juices, and even gulal for Holi can be prepared using this invention.
Recognizing the significance of his work, the Haryana government announced a subsidy of Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 1,00,000 for farmers and self-help groups purchasing his Rs 2 lakh machine, making it more accessible to those who need it most.
Supported by the National Innovation Foundation and Chaudhary Charan Singh Agricultural University, Dharambir’s innovation journey has gained global recognition. His machines are now used in countries like the USA, Italy, Kenya, Australia, and Nigeria, among others.
In 2013, his efforts were honored by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. His story was also featured in Bollywood film Padman alongside Akshay Kumar, and in 2022, it found a place in the NCERT Class 12 Business Studies textbook, becoming an inspiration for students nationwide.
Now the founder of Dharambir Foods Private Limited, he manufactures around 10 machines a month and offers two-day training sessions to help others succeed with his technology.
What makes Dharambir’s story truly remarkable is not just the machine he built, but the determination that powered it. “People mocked my ideas in the beginning,” he recalls, “but I never let criticism stop me.” Today, Dharambir stands tall as a symbol of grassroots innovation, self-reliance, and hope.