On a crisp morning in Padamchey, East Sikkim, villagers gathered to witness the opening of Hamro Sahakari Bazaar, the state’s first rural mart. The air was excited as locals inspected shelves stocked with fresh produce, organic honey, and handmade crafts from their community.
This isn’t just another store. It’s a bold experiment in community-led commerce, where profits stay within the village instead of leaking to intermediaries. Owned and operated by the Padamchey Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (MPCS), the mart directly responds to rural India’s most significant economic challenge: keeping wealth local.
With India’s Ministry of Cooperation pushing for grassroots economic growth and the United Nations declaring 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives, Sikkim’s model could offer a blueprint for the future.
Why Sikkim’s Cooperative Model Works
Sikkim has a long history of cooperative movements, dating back to the 1955 Cooperative Societies Act. Today, the state has 35 active MPCS units, but Hamro Sahakari Bazaar is the first to thoroughly integrate a retail marketplace into the system.
The problem it solves is simple but critical: rural producers often earn very little because intermediaries take most of the profits. Farmers in Padamchey, for example, previously sold honey for ₹150 per kg to traders, who then resold it for ₹500 or more in cities. Now, with their market, they keep the full profit.
India’s new Ministry of Cooperation, launched in 2021, aims to replicate such models nationwide. The government’s “Sahkar se Samriddhi“ (Prosperity Through Cooperatives) mission has succeeded in Amul’s dairy cooperatives and Karnataka’s Nandini milk federation. Sikkim’s Mart takes this further by combining retail, agriculture, and handicrafts under one roof.
Inside Hamro Sahakari Bazaar: How It Runs
The mart is entirely owned and managed by Padamchey MPCS, meaning every villager has a stake. Key features include:
1. Local Products, Global Standards
- The star product is Jaivik Swaad honey, sourced from Sikkim’s organic farms and branded for broader appeal.
- Other offerings include handwoven textiles, spices, and farm-fresh vegetables—all sold fairly.
2. No Middlemen, More Profits
- Before the market, farmers earned 30-40% less due to intermediaries. Now, profits go straight back to producers.
- The cooperative also uses Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to provide low-interest loans for expansion.
3. Women Leading the Charge
- Nearly 60% of the cooperative’s members are women, many of whom now earn steady incomes from handicrafts and farming.
- Kesang Yanki, a local weaver, says the mart has doubled her monthly earnings from ₹4,000 to ₹8,000.
How It Fits Into Bigger Trends
1. The UN’s 2025 Cooperatives Push
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2025 the Year of Cooperatives, aiming to highlight models like Sikkim’s. The theme, “Cooperatives Build a Better World”, aligns perfectly with Hamro Sahakari Bazaar’s mission.
2. India’s Ministry of Cooperation Steps In
The central government actively promotes multi-state cooperatives, with plans to link rural markets like Sikkim’s to national supply chains.
3. Tourism Meets Rural Commerce
Sikkim attracts over 2.5 million tourists annually, many visiting rural homestays. The mart now serves as a direct supplier to these businesses, creating a closed-loop economy.
Challenges Ahead
While the model is promising, hurdles remain:
- Scaling Up: Can the mart maintain quality if it expands to other villages?
- Digital Gaps: Many villagers lack e-commerce skills, limiting online sales potential.
- Funding Needs: More low-interest loans are required to help farmers upgrade equipment.
Still, Bishnu Lal Sharma, President of Padamchey MPCS, remains optimistic. “If we can make this work here, any village in India can,“ he says.
What’s Next? A Model for India?
The success of Hamro Sahakari Bazaar has caught the attention of policymakers. States like Kerala and Maharashtra, which have strong cooperative traditions, are already studying the model.
Meanwhile, plans are underway to:
- Launch an e-commerce portal for Jaivik Swaad Honey.
- Partner with Sikkim’s 1,908 homestays to stock local products.
- Train farmers in digital sales to reach national markets.
Conclusion: A Small Mart With Big Lessons
Sikkim’s rural mart proves that everyone benefits when communities control their economy. As India prepares for the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives, this tiny village’s experiment could inspire a nationwide shift.
The message is clear: The future of rural India isn’t in corporate chains, it’s in cooperatives.
