Google has started testing a feature in India that allows shoppers to buy products from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly through Gemini and Google’s AI Mode. The test marks an expansion of Google’s AI services from product discovery and recommendations toward completing transactions.
Under the limited test, some users can see a “Buy” button on selected Flipkart product listings displayed in Gemini and AI Mode. Clicking the button takes users to a Flipkart checkout flow without requiring them to leave the AI interface.
The initial test is available only to some users and covers a limited selection of products, including smartphones, electronics and mobile accessories. Other users continue to see standard Flipkart product listings in Gemini and AI Mode without the direct purchase option.
Google plans to expand the feature more broadly later in October, ahead of India’s festive shopping season, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The development comes as Google and other AI companies, including OpenAI, work to add commerce capabilities to their AI products. The focus is shifting from using AI to answer shopping-related queries and recommend products toward enabling users to complete purchases through AI interfaces.
A Google spokesperson, responding to questions about the Flipkart test, said the company is “always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily.” The spokesperson added that Google regularly conducts experiments and had no further details to share.
Google has separately been developing technology to enable purchases through its AI services. Earlier this year, the company introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard designed to allow AI agents to interact with retailers throughout the shopping journey, including checkout. Google had said that the protocol would enable shoppers to purchase eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode using a Google-hosted checkout experience.
The Flipkart test appears to differ from the Google-hosted checkout model demonstrated earlier. In the current test observed by TechCrunch, tapping the “Buy” button opens a Flipkart-branded checkout flow. The technology powering this particular test has not been disclosed.
Earlier this month, Google said Flipkart was among the merchants working with it to introduce what the company calls “agentic” shopping experiences in India. At that time, Google had not disclosed details about the test or its rollout timeline.
Google also has a financial relationship with Flipkart. In 2024, it invested about $350 million in the e-commerce company as part of a funding round led by Walmart, taking a minority stake.
India, which has more than a billion internet subscribers, is a major market for online commerce, with Flipkart and Amazon competing for shoppers. Competition typically intensifies during the country’s festive season, when e-commerce platforms run some of their largest sales and promotional campaigns.
For now, the direct-buy option is not available across all retailers shown in Google’s AI services. In the experience observed by TechCrunch, Amazon listings appeared alongside Flipkart products, but Amazon listings did not offer the option to purchase directly through the AI interface. Flipkart had not immediately responded to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
