Yakten, a small village in Sikkim’s Pakyong district, has been declared India’s first Digital Nomad Village under the state’s “Nomad Sikkim” initiative. Surrounded by Himalayan beauty, Yakten is now part of a pilot project by the Pakyong district administration and NGO Sarvahitey, aiming to attract remote workers from India and abroad while providing sustainable income to local homestay owners.
The initiative responds to India’s growing digital nomad population—about 1.7 million Indians, or 2% of the global total—amid increasing preference for flexible work.
Yakten: A Well-Connected Himalayan Hub for Purpose-Driven Remote Work
Yakten’s cool climate, with summer highs near 24°C and winter lows around 4°C, and improved infrastructure make it ideal for long-term stays. The village offers eight homestays with 18 rooms, high-speed Wi-Fi, uninterrupted power, and work-friendly spaces. Visitors can choose between ₹6,000 per week for short stays with coworking access or ₹15,000 per month for longer stays, including cultural activities. Located 140 km from New Jalpaiguri railway station, 125 km from Bagdogra Airport, and 30 km from Gangtok, Yakten is now well-connected.
Leaders like MP Indra Hang Subba emphasize that this is “tourism with purpose,” integrating visitors into the local culture while boosting livelihoods. NGO founder Prem Prakash calls it an effort to make Sikkim a leading sustainable hub for digital nomads in South Asia. A key benefit is tackling Yakten’s long off-season, when tourism typically dries up. By hosting remote workers year-round, homestay incomes could rise three to five times.
Yakten’s Digital Nomad Experiment: From Cardamom Fields to Global Remote Work Hub
The initiative also transforms families into digital entrepreneurs, offering them steady income while enriching visitors with authentic cultural experiences. Early online reactions are positive, with many praising the idea of working in the serene Himalayan setting. Yakten’s upgraded infrastructure, from Wi-Fi to homestay redesigns, marks a significant leap from its once-isolated past.
The project will run as a three-year pilot, potentially expanding to other Sikkim villages if successful. It could inspire similar ventures across India, as seen globally in places like Portugal’s Madeira, Bali’s Ubud, and Thailand’s Chiang Mai, where rural economies have been revived through remote work tourism. For Yakten, the experiment is just starting—turning a village once known for cardamom fields into a haven for laptops and video calls.
Summary:
Yakten in Sikkim, now India’s first Digital Nomad Village, offers homestays with high-speed internet, workspaces, and cultural activities under the “Nomad Sikkim” initiative. This three-year pilot aims to attract global remote workers, boost local incomes year-round, and potentially inspire similar projects across India, blending tourism with sustainable community development.
