From Rickshaw Puller To Succesful Innovator, Meet Farmer-Entrepreneur Dharamveer Kamboj

A life with a blend of hard work and luck takes an individual to great heights. The 59-year-old Dharamveer Kamboj is an example of the same, who has struggled to make an extravagant story.

The Haryana-based man faced several hurdles in his life, but his perseverance made him a widely-recognised farmer-entrepreneur who now earns six figures annually. He is best known for his multipurpose processing machine that allows farmers to create farm products domestically.

He now sells his patented machine to more than 15 countries, including the United States, Nepal, Australia, Nigeria, Italy, and Zimbabwe. During the Fifth National Biennial Awards function in 2009, the NIF awarded him the Haryana State award for his innovation of the multipurpose processing machine.

Know More About This Multifaceted Innovator

Dharamveer Kamboj was born in 1963 in the Damla village of Haryana and had five siblings under one roof. During early childhood, he stopped his education to support his family financially. After some years, he left his village and shifted to Delhi in search of better opportunities. Without any educational background, his efforts to search for a job yielded no results.

Kamboj became a rickshaw puller in the national capital and earned sufficient money to run a livelihood. He found solace in a state-run library near the railway station and used to read farming-related subjects in his free time. He learned ways to grow exotic crops like asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, and lettuce.

After learning in-depth about farming from free books, he felt confident about his knowledge in the farming sector. During the time, he met with an accident and decided to return to his village in Haryana, reported The Economic Times. After recovering from the injury, he chose to stay in his town.

How Persistence Led To Innovation?

Kamboj continued gaining knowledge about the farming sector through several village-level training camps. In 2004, he visited Rajasthan to learn about the Aloe Vera crop and its medicinal properties. After returning to his village, he started exploring ways to market Aloe Vera through his venture.

Later, a bank employee educated him about the agricultural machinery required for processing food products but quoted him an exorbitant cost. Kamboj didn't lose hope and developed his own machine at a moderate price. After eight months of hard work, his prototype of a Multipurpose Processing Machine was ready.

It's a portable machine that operates on a single-phase motor and processes seeds, fruits, and herbs. It also has temperature control with an auto-cut-off facility.

Kamboj received a patent for his innovation from the National Innovation Foundation. Since then, he has never looked back, and now he offers employment opportunities to thousands of farmers in the rural areas of Haryana.

Also Read: My Story: 'After Leaving My Permanent Government Job, I Became An Entrepreneur At Age 56'