Google tests letting Gemini and AI Mode users buy from Flipkart

Google has started testing a way for shoppers in India to buy products from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly through Gemini and Google’s AI Mode, as the search giant looks to expand its AI services from product discovery into transactions.

Users in the test see a “Buy” button on select Flipkart product listings appearing in Gemini and AI Mode, which takes them directly to a Flipkart checkout flow without leaving the AI interface, according to people familiar with the matter and an experience seen by TechCrunch.

The early test is limited to some users and a small selection of products, including smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories, the people said. Other users continue to see regular Flipkart product listings in Gemini and AI Mode without the option to buy directly from the AI interface. Google plans to roll out the experience more broadly later in October, ahead of India’s festive shopping season, one of the people said.

The test comes as Google and rivals including OpenAI add commerce capabilities to their AI products, moving beyond answering shopping queries and recommending products toward playing a more direct role in purchases. Asked about the Flipkart test, a Google spokesperson said the company is “always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily,” adding that it runs experiments regularly and has no further details to share.

Google has separately built technology aimed at enabling purchases through its AI services. Earlier this year, it introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard meant to let AI agents interact with retailers across the shopping journey, including checkout, letting shoppers buy eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode using a Google-hosted checkout. It has since expanded UCP to let shoppers transfer items to a retailer’s site to complete a purchase. The Flipkart test appears different from that Google-hosted checkout: tapping Buy brings up a Flipkart-branded checkout flow, and it is not clear what technology powers it.

Earlier this month, Google said Flipkart was among the merchants partnering with it to bring “agentic” shopping to Indian consumers, without disclosing test details or a rollout timeline. Google also has a financial stake in Flipkart, having invested about $350 million in the e-commerce company in 2024 as part of a funding round led by Walmart, taking a minority position.

India, the world’s second-largest internet market with more than a billion internet subscribers, sees Flipkart and Amazon compete fiercely for online shoppers, a rivalry that intensifies during the festive season’s big sales. For now, the Buy option isn’t appearing for all retailers Google’s AI services surface — Amazon listings still appear alongside Flipkart’s without a direct-purchase option. Flipkart did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why it matters

By wiring checkout directly into Gemini and AI Mode, Google is testing whether AI assistants can become a genuine sales channel rather than just a discovery layer — a shift that could reshape how e-commerce platforms compete for traffic during India’s high-stakes festive shopping season.