From Corporate Job to Crore-Generating Farm: How Samir Dombe’s Pavitrak Transformed India’s Fig Market
From Corporate Job to Crore-Generating Farm: How Samir Dombe’s Pavitrak Transformed India’s Fig Market
After leaving a corporate job in 2013, Samir Dombe transformed his family’s fig farm into Pavitrak, a successful agro-brand generating Rs 1.5 crore annually.
When Samir Dombe left his corporate engineering job earning Rs 40,000 a month to cultivate figs, few supported his choice. His journey, from being taunted for turning away from corporate security to now leading Pavitrak, a thriving agro-business, is a powerful story of vision and resilience.
A graduate in Mechanical Engineering, Samir began fig farming on his family’s 2.5 acres in Daund, Maharashtra, where agriculture often struggles due to monsoon dependency and limited irrigation. Drawing on his technical knowledge, Samir embraced innovative methods to improve production quality, eventually expanding his farm to 5 acres.
Understanding the value of branding, Samir launched Pavitrak in 2018, a name symbolizing quality and integrity, and began packaging figs in 1 kg units. Through supermarkets and online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, Pavitrak figs and fig jams reached customers nationwide. “Most fig jams in India are imported,” he says. “Ours is the first indigenous brand.”
Leveraging the pristine environment of Daund, Samir’s figs thrived, thanks to the region’s clean water, low pollution, and optimal soil. His vision expanded to processed fig products, including jams made from 100% organic pulp, giving his customers a taste of freshness and quality.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, Samir strengthened customer connections via WhatsApp, generating Rs 13 lakh through direct sales. He explains that technological outreach has been key, noting that bulk orders and repeat customers have built a loyal following for Pavitrak. His message is clear: “There’s no need to rely on middlemen. Market your produce and brand it like a corporate product.”
Recognized by the ICAR and honored with awards like the “Innovative Young Agro Entrepreneur” from Krishithon, Samir urges educated youth to return to farming. “Agriculture remains largely unorganized, and educated youth can bring transformation,” he says.
