Google has begun testing a feature in India that lets some users buy select Flipkart products directly through its Gemini and AI Mode interfaces, according to people familiar with the trial and an experience reported by TechCrunch.
In the test, certain Flipkart product listings shown in Gemini and Google’s AI Mode include a “Buy” button. When tapped, that button opens a Flipkart-branded checkout flow without the user leaving the AI interface. The experiment is limited to a subset of users and a small selection of items, with the tested categories reportedly including smartphones, electronics and mobile accessories. Other users still see standard Flipkart listings in Gemini and AI Mode without a direct purchase option.
One source said Google plans to expand the experience more broadly later in October, ahead of India’s festive shopping season.
Why this matters
The trial is part of a wider industry shift in which Google and competitors, including OpenAI, are adding commerce capabilities to AI products. The aim is to move beyond answering queries and recommending items toward a more direct role in completing online purchases.
A Google spokesperson told TechCrunch the company is “always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily.” The spokesperson also said Google regularly runs experiments and had no additional details to share about this test.
Technical background and prior announcements
Earlier this year, Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard intended to let AI agents interact with retailers across the shopping journey, including checkout. At the time, Google said UCP would allow shoppers to buy eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode using a Google-hosted checkout experience. Since then, the company has expanded UCP to include capabilities such as transferring items to a retailer’s site to complete a purchase.
The Flipkart test seen by TechCrunch appears to differ from the Google-hosted checkout demo previously shown by the company: tapping the Buy button in this experiment brings up a Flipkart-branded checkout flow. It is not clear which technology underlies this particular test.
Partnership, investment and market context
Earlier this month, Google said Flipkart was among the merchants partnering with it to bring so-called “agentic” shopping experiences to consumers in India, though Google did not disclose details of the tests or rollout timeline at the time. 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 a U.S. retailer, taking a minority stake.
India is the world’s second-largest internet market, with more than a billion internet subscribers. Flipkart and Amazon compete aggressively for online shoppers there, and that rivalry intensifies during the country’s festive-season sales, when e-commerce platforms run some of their largest promotions of the year.
Limits and competitors
The Buy option is not appearing across all retailers surfaced by Google’s AI services. In the experience reported by TechCrunch, listings from competitors including Amazon appeared alongside Flipkart products but did not offer the option to purchase directly through the AI interface.
Flipkart did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
Conclusion
The trial indicates Google is exploring ways to turn its AI interfaces into transactional channels, at least in a limited test with Flipkart in India. The planned wider rollout in October, timed for the festive shopping season, suggests the company is moving to introduce commerce functionality more broadly in the region.
