Swap “work from home” for “work from nature”. Rohan Ramesh Agawane, a 2017-batch IAS officer of the Sikkim cadre and currently serving as Deputy Commissioner of Pakyong district, is leading a new-age initiative that enables young professionals to work while experiencing the natural beauty of Sikkim.

Under his leadership in Pakyong district, India’s first Digital Nomad Village has been created at Yakten under the initiative titled Nomad Sikkim. The idea is simple if people can work from anywhere, why not from the peaceful mountains of Sikkim?

“We have created India’s first digital nomad village,” Agawane says. “There have been digital nomad hotspots earlier, but there was no concept of a proper digital nomad village.”

The model integrates high-speed internet, curated home stays, local community participation and institutional support turning a scenic village into a global remote-work destination. “All sections are contributing to this project.” Additionally, this effort can play a meaningful role in improving mental well being and reducing stress. 

The initiative also recently earned national recognition with a Scotch Gold Award, validating what many see as a forward-looking governance experiment. Apart from tourism, the initiative in long term can benefit northeast both economically, socially and act as a bridge connecting northeast with mainland India.

With encouragement from the Chief Minister of Sikkim, similar work has begun expanding into other districts, with Pakyong district administration extending full support wherever required for implementation. “The dream is to create the entire North-East as a digital nomad hub”. 

In Pakyong a new chapter for northeast is budding with small villages connecting the global work culture while keeping their local identity intact.