THIS town in India has shops without shopkeepers, has special way of payment, farmers say, ‘God is watching’, name is...

Nagaland is one of India’s most beautiful states. With breathtaking views of the massive hills and a lush green valley, not one can just pass by these beautiful scenes. However, this is not the only reason that stops people on their path. What attracts everyone is that Pfutsero in Naga Hills has shops without shopkeepers.  

In these shops products are marked with their respective prices, which people can see and buy without paying the shopkeeper in cash. The reason is that trust is the only currency that works here. What is more astonishing is that not only the locals, but the strange travelers also pay like this and are even trusted.   

Prominent filmmaker Bharatbala experienced this unusual way of payment in person when he stood at one such shops on the outskirts of Pfutsero town in Phek district, about 2 hours by road from the capital Kohima. 

Located on the highway to Phek and Kiphire districts from Kohima, the trust relies on kindness from passing strangers who may never return. 

"Standing at the trust shop in Pfutsero, Nagaland, I felt the weight of a powerful belief: trust can transform us. A place where trust is the only currency; no cashier, no security, just the faith in people to do the right thing. Coming from simple farmers who leave their products with trust in humanity, it is a reminder that we are still capable of honouring each other and 'PayItForward',” Bharatbala told India Today Digital.  

Around Pfutsero, 20 women-run shops at three sites sell local produce, including seasonal fruits, vegetables, pickles, jams, and juices. Farmers restock daily and collect sales proceeds from an honesty box. 

Mizoram also has unmanned shops, called "Nghah Loh Dawr", and Kerala is experimenting with trust shops in schools. 

How these shops run only on trust? 

According to Anga Vekhotalu, a Pfutsero resident and civil society worker, while a few unmanned shops emerged 15 years ago, the first trust marketplace took shape around 2015. “The number of the shops have gone up in the last two-three years,” Vekhotalu tells India Today Digital, adding, “Travellers, both Nagas and non-Nagas are the main buyers at these shops. People from nearby Pfutsero town, who do not grow vegetables, also buy from these shops.” 

Customers take the goods and pay by leaving cash in the box or by scanning UPI codes displayed at the shop. “At times people do not put money in the cash box but take away items. It is fine. Because, even when no one is looking, God is watching,” says a farmer.