On July 15, 2025, the Yakten village of Sikkim’s Pakyong district was launched as India’s first digital nomad village. This initiative will help remote workers by providing them with access to modern facilities in a quiet Himalayan environment. The initiative will also assist local families to earn a sustainable income through homestays, particularly in the low-season months.
A New Way to Work: digital nomad village in the Hills
The project, called ‘Nomad Sikkim’ is a collaborative approach developed by the Pakyong district administration and an NGO named Sarvahitey – with the aim of addressing the seasonal income gap of homestay owners from April to October when visitors are rare. Yakten now officially offers homestays for digital professionals which are equipped with broadband, and the owners have been well-trained to provide opportunities for guests to work well and live well.
Great Internet Connections and Reliable Electric Power
In order to accommodate remote work, Yakten will receive significant upgrades to improve accessibility for remote workers, including new dual internet lines, village level wifi, and electric power backups to avoid power cuts. This means remote working professionals can work effectively without interruption. As an additional note, the Jal Jeevan Mission is in the process of establishing improved water supply for the village.
Pathways to Yakten from the rest of Sikkim are accessible by road and the village is in close proximity to the Pakyong Airport.
Homestays that Embrace Locals
The homestays around Yakten provide more than just availability of rooms; they provide an opportunity for visitors to live with home-stay families and experience the food, living experience and welcoming culture of Sikkim. Visitors can also dance to folk music, dance at celebrations, visit monasteries and experience trails that are rich in nature. They allow an intermix of work that modernity provides, and the natural intermix that rural life provides.
Local Economic Enterprise
This new model from the village is a way to minimize the local community’s reliance on temperamental, seasonal tourism. It allows families to forget reliance on contractors and have consistent income and is a model to show other rural areas how to enter the digital market while preserving their traditions. Experts believe this model has the potential to be replicated in other villages across India that will allow for rural sustainable livelihoods to be created to support balanced local economic growth.
Explore, Unwind or Work
The visitors to Yakten can immerse themselves in nature while walking in tranquility and peace or have fun in the community garden or trail, hike the 7-km trek to Jhandi Dara View Point, or enjoy stunning views of Mt. Kanchenjunga. Yakten can accommodate visitors in a work setting with decent workspaces, while allowing you to be hailed by nature and the local heritage that Yakten offers. In short, it has offered the opportunity to combine where people work, play and unwind.
