Google has begun testing a way for shoppers in India to buy products from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly through Gemini and AI Mode, as the search giant looks to expand its artificial intelligence services from product discovery to transactions.
Users in the test see a “Buy” button on select Flipkart product listings that appear in Gemini and Google’s AI mode, which takes them directly to Flipkart’s checkout flow without leaving the AI interface, according to people familiar with the matter and an experience seen by TechCrunch.
The initial test is limited to a few users and a small selection of products, including smartphones, electronics and mobile accessories, the people told TechCrunch. Other users continue to see regular listings of Flipkart products in Gemini and AI Mode without the option to purchase them directly from the AI interface.
Google plans to roll out the experience more broadly in late October, ahead of India’s holiday shopping season, one of the people said.
The test comes as Google and its rivals, including OpenAI, are adding business capabilities to its AI offerings, striving to go beyond answering shopping queries and recommending products to play a more direct role in online shopping.
When asked about the Flipkart test, a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company is “always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily.” The company conducts experiments periodically and has no further details to share, the spokesperson added.
Google has separately been developing technology aimed at making shopping possible through its artificial intelligence services. At the beginning of this year, inserted the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) as an open standard designed to allow AI agents to interact with retailers throughout the purchasing process, including payment. Google saying at the time the technology would allow shoppers to purchase eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode using a Google-hosted checkout experience. The company since then expanded UCP with other capabilities, including allowing shoppers to transfer items to a retailer’s site to complete a purchase.
The Flipkart test seen by TechCrunch appears different from the Google-hosted checkout experience that maker Gemini demonstrated earlier. Displays a Flipkart-branded checkout flow when a user taps the Buy button. It is unclear what technology powers the test.
Earlier this month, Google said Flipkart was among merchants partnered with it to bring what it calls “agent” shopping experiences to consumers in India, but had not disclosed details of the trial or its rollout timeline.
Notably, Google has a financial relationship with Flipkart, in addition to its technology partnership with the e-commerce company. He invested about 350 million dollars in the e-commerce company in 2024 as part of a financing round led by the American retailer, acquiring a minority stake.
In India, the world’s second-largest internet market with over a billion internet subscribers, Flipkart and Amazon compete fiercely for online shoppers. That competition intensifies even more during the country’s holiday season, when e-commerce companies launch some of their biggest sales and promotions of the year.
For now, the Buy option does not appear on all retailers that appear in Google’s AI services. In the experience seen by TechCrunch, listings from rivals, including Amazon, appeared alongside Flipkart products, but did not offer the option to purchase directly through the AI interface.
Flipkart did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
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