Google Tests Flipkart Purchases Through Gemini and AI Mode in India
Google has begun testing direct purchases from Walmart-owned Flipkart through Gemini and AI Mode in India. Some users see a Buy button on selected Flipkart listings, which opens a Flipkart-branded checkout flow without requiring the shopper to leave Google’s AI interface.
The experiment is currently restricted to a subset of users and products. People familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that the eligible listings include smartphones, electronics and mobile accessories. Other users still see ordinary Flipkart product listings in Gemini and AI Mode without a direct purchasing option.
A limited commerce test before festive sales
Google intends to expand the experience more broadly later in October, one person told TechCrunch. The timing would place a wider rollout ahead of India’s festive shopping season, when online retailers typically launch some of their largest sales and promotions.
India has more than a billion internet subscribers and is the world’s second-largest internet market. Flipkart and Amazon compete intensely for online shoppers there. In the experience seen by TechCrunch, Amazon products appeared alongside Flipkart listings, but did not include a Buy button for completing a purchase through the AI interface.
Google said it is “always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily.” The company said it regularly runs experiments and did not provide further details. Flipkart did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Checkout route differs from Google’s stated model
Earlier this year, Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard intended to allow AI agents to work with retailers across the shopping journey, including checkout. Google said eligible products could be purchased in Gemini and AI Mode through a Google-hosted checkout experience. It has also expanded UCP to let shoppers transfer items to a retailer’s site to finish a purchase.
The Flipkart test appears to take a different route. Tapping Buy brings up a Flipkart-branded checkout flow rather than the Google-hosted experience demonstrated by the company. It is not clear which technology underpins the test.
Google named Flipkart earlier this month as a merchant partner for what it calls agentic shopping experiences in India, without detailing this trial or a timetable. The company also has a financial relationship with Flipkart: Google invested about $350 million in the e-commerce business in 2024 as part of a funding round led by Walmart, taking a minority stake.
What merchants should watch
The test extends a direction visible in Google AI Mode app task execution, where Google’s AI Mode was positioned to launch tasks in apps directly from search, and it places commerce closer to that task-completion model. For retailers, the practical implication is to monitor whether AI product discovery begins to determine not only which listings shoppers see, but also which checkout paths they can enter.