Google tests Flipkart buying inside Gemini in India
A limited trial lets some users buy select Flipkart products from Gemini and AI Mode, pushing Google’s AI tools closer to checkout.
Google has started testing a new shopping flow in India that lets some users buy select Flipkart products directly inside Gemini and AI Mode. The move pushes Google’s AI tools beyond recommendations and into the purchase itself. That makes the test notable not just for shoppers, but for retailers and rivals watching how AI may reshape online buying. For now, the rollout is limited, and Google has not said exactly what technology powers it.
A Buy button appears inside Gemini and AI Mode
In the early test, some users can see a “Buy” button on certain Flipkart listings shown in Gemini and Google’s AI Mode. Tapping it takes them into a Flipkart checkout flow without leaving the AI interface, according to people familiar with the matter and a version of the experience seen by TechCrunch.
The rollout remains narrow. Right now, the test covers only a small number of users and a limited set of products, including smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories. Other users still see regular Flipkart listings in Gemini and AI Mode, but without the option to purchase directly inside the AI experience.
One of the people said Google plans to expand the experience more widely later in October. As IT-PUB News notes, that timing would put a broader rollout ahead of India’s festive shopping season, when online retailers typically see heavy traffic and aggressive promotions.
Google is pushing AI from discovery into checkout
The test fits a broader shift in the AI market. Google and competitors including OpenAI are adding commerce features to their AI products, aiming to do more than answer shopping questions or recommend items. The goal is to take part in the purchase process itself.
Google has been building toward that for some time. Earlier this year, it introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP, as an open standard meant to let AI agents interact with retailers across the shopping journey, including checkout. At the time, Google said the technology would allow shoppers to buy eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode using a Google-hosted checkout experience.
Google has since expanded UCP with additional capabilities, including the option for shoppers to transfer items to a retailer’s own site to complete a purchase. The Flipkart test seen by TechCrunch appears to work differently from the Google-hosted checkout flow the company previously demonstrated. In this case, tapping Buy opens a Flipkart-branded checkout flow. It is still unclear what technology is behind the test.
Flipkart is part of Google’s India shopping push
Earlier this month, Google said Flipkart was among the merchants partnering with it on what it calls “agentic” shopping experiences in India. It did not disclose the details of the test at the time or say when it would roll out.
The Flipkart experiment also stands out because Google has a financial relationship with the e-commerce company, in addition to the technology partnership. Google invested about $350 million in Flipkart in 2024 as part of a funding round led by the U.S. retailer, taking a minority stake.
That gives the test extra weight. It shows Google working with a major local e-commerce player as it tries to make AI shopping more useful in one of the world’s largest internet markets.
Amazon listings still do not offer direct buying
The new Buy option is not showing up across all retailers surfaced by Google’s AI services. In the experience seen by TechCrunch, listings from rivals including Amazon appeared alongside Flipkart products, but they did not include a way to purchase directly through the AI interface.
That suggests Google is testing the feature selectively rather than opening it across all shopping results at once. It also shows that direct buying is not yet a standard part of Google’s AI shopping experience.
Asked about the Flipkart test, Google said it is “always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily.” The company added that it regularly runs experiments and had no further details to share.
Flipkart did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
India’s festive season makes the timing important
The test is unfolding in India, which Google describes as the world’s second-largest internet market with more than a billion internet subscribers. In that market, Flipkart and Amazon compete intensely for online shoppers, and that rivalry becomes even sharper during the festive season, when e-commerce companies launch some of their biggest sales and promotions of the year.
That makes the timing of Google’s experiment especially notable. If the company expands the feature as planned, it could change how some shoppers move from browsing to buying during one of the busiest retail periods in India.
For consumers, the appeal is straightforward: fewer steps between finding a product and paying for it. For Google and its retail partners, the upside is potentially deeper engagement inside AI tools. The test also leaves a bigger question hanging over the market — whether AI assistants will stay focused on discovery or become a more direct gateway to online commerce.
