Imphal’s Ima Keithel: the world’s only all-women market faces a digital future

Inside the sprawling Ima Keithel, where more than 5,000 women trade everything from vegetables to handwoven shawls, a quiet experiment is under way: a cooperative-run mobile app that lists goods, prices and stall numbers.

Supporters say the app protects the market’s oldest traditions — women-only trading, community pricing — while opening buyers in Delhi and beyond. Critics worry about intermediaries, payment cuts and who owns the data.

For now, the app has 300 listings and a waiting list of stalls. The market itself, rebuilt after a 2016 fire, is busier than ever.