Google tests buying from Walmart-owned Flipkart through Gemini and AI Mode in India

Flipkart checkout appears inside Google's AI surfaces

Google has begun testing a way for shoppers in India to buy products from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly through Gemini and Google Search's AI Mode, according to people familiar with the matter and an experience seen by TechCrunch. Users in the test see a "Buy" button on select Flipkart product listings appearing in Gemini and AI Mode, which takes them to a Flipkart-branded checkout flow without leaving the AI interface. The early test is limited to some users and a small selection of products, including smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories.

Limited scope and uneven merchant coverage

For now, the Buy option is not appearing 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 did not offer the option to purchase directly through the AI interface. Other users continue to see regular Flipkart listings in Gemini and AI Mode without the direct-buy option, and it is not clear what technology powers the test, which differs from the Google-hosted checkout experience Google demonstrated earlier.

Timeline tied to India's festive shopping season

Google plans to roll out the experience more broadly later in October, ahead of India's festive shopping season, when e-commerce companies run some of their biggest sales and promotions of the year. The country, the world's second-largest internet market with more than a billion internet subscribers, sees Flipkart and Amazon compete fiercely for online shoppers, with that competition intensifying further during the festive period.

Broader push into agentic commerce

The test comes as Google and rivals including OpenAI are adding commerce capabilities to their AI offerings, striving to move beyond answering shopping queries and recommending products to playing a more direct role in online purchases. Asked about the Flipkart test, a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch the company is "always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily," and that it regularly runs experiments and has no further details to share.

Underlying standards and the Google–Flipkart relationship

Google has separately been building technology aimed at making purchases possible through its AI services. Earlier this year, it introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) as an open standard designed to let AI agents interact with retailers across the shopping journey, including checkout, and has since expanded UCP with other capabilities, including allowing shoppers to transfer items to a retailer's site to complete a purchase. Earlier this month, Google said Flipkart was among the merchants partnering with it to bring what it calls "agentic" shopping experiences to consumers in India, but it had not disclosed details of the test or its rollout timeline. Google also has a financial relationship with Flipkart: it invested about $350 million in the e-commerce company in 2024 as part of a funding round led by Walmart, taking a minority stake.

Open questions and next milestone

The underlying technology behind the Flipkart-branded checkout flow in Gemini and AI Mode remains undisclosed, and Flipkart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The next verifiable milestone is Google's planned broader rollout of the direct-buy experience later in October, ahead of India's festive season.