Google is testing a way for shoppers in India to buy products from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly through Gemini and its AI Mode. In the early test, some users see a "Buy" button on select Flipkart listings, which opens a Flipkart-branded checkout flow without leaving the AI interface. The test is limited to a small set of users and products, including smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories, according to people familiar with the matter and an experience seen by TechCrunch.
Google plans to broaden the rollout later in October, ahead of India's festive shopping season. A Google spokesperson said the company is "always testing new features and experiences" and had no further details to share. The test comes with an existing financial tie: Google invested about $350 million in Flipkart in 2024 as part of a funding round led by Walmart, taking a minority stake. In the experience seen by TechCrunch, listings from rival Amazon appeared alongside Flipkart products but did not offer the direct Buy option.
The move reflects a broader industry push to turn AI assistants from product discovery tools into transaction platforms. Google has separately built the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard meant to let AI agents handle checkout, but the Flipkart test appears to use a Flipkart-branded checkout rather than the Google-hosted experience Google demonstrated earlier. It is not clear what technology powers the test, and Flipkart did not immediately respond to a request for comment.