In Sadri, Rajasthan, the Raika a camel-herding community draped in white angrakhas and vibrant turbans found their traditional livelihoods upended when camel trading, once a key income source, was banned after 2014. That year, the camel was declared Rajasthan’s state animal, triggering legal restrictions that impacted their way of life. Enter Camel Charisma, a social enterprise co-founded by German veterinarian Dr Ilse Köhler-Rollefson and local advocate Hanwant Singh Rathore. Their mission: transform camel stewardship into a sustainable, dignified livelihood. 

By 2019, Rajasthan’s first camel dairy the Kumbalgarh Camel Dairy was established. Despite initial cultural resistance and a 1999 court ruling questioning camel-milk safety, persistent advocacy led to FSSAI recognising camel milk as food in 2016. Today, Camel Charisma earns national recognition, supplying over 3,000 litres of camel milk monthly, and supports dozens of herders, like Karan, who now earns ₹25,000 a month.

Beyond dairy, the project includes cheese-making (feta beloved by Udaipur’s Lake Palace guests), wool-based rugs (dhurries), and paper crafted from camel dung each product combining tradition, sustainability, and livelihood for the Raika.