India’s first official digital nomad village in Yakten, Sikkim, is seeing a surge of interest—especially from Bengaluru professionals, who top the list of applicants wanting to live and work remotely in the scenic eastern Himalayan foothills.
Located in the Pakyong district, Yakten was declared a digital nomad hub on July 14. The project, led by the Sikkim government and NGO Sarvahitey, aims to offer a slow, sustainable lifestyle to remote workers while boosting local employment year-round.
In just 10 days, 56 enquiries have come from Bengaluru alone, says Prem Prakash, founder of Sarvahitey. “Half have opted for a month-long stay at ₹15,000, while the rest chose the one-week plan at ₹6,000, often to test the waters,” he added.
These Bengalureans are typically mid-30s IT professionals in semi-senior to senior roles. Many are travelling solo, on sabbatical, or in between jobs. Only one application so far includes a family with a child.
Eight homestays, operated by local Limbu and Sherpa families, are open to guests. These hillside homes offer 18 rooms, each equipped with 100 Mbps WiFi, dedicated work desks, and backup internet. Additionally, the cluster includes three coworking spaces, catering to professional needs.
The initiative was inspired by Prakash’s visit to Pai, Thailand, a global remote-working hotspot. “We’re nearly sold out for August and have bookings stretching into April,” he shared, underlining the project’s growing popularity.
Remote work with a mountain view? Yakten may just be the future.