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

According to individuals familiar with the matter and demonstrations observed by industry publications, users participating in this preliminary test are presented with a "Buy" button on select Flipkart product listings. When clicked within Gemini or Google’s AI Mode, this button initiates a Flipkart-branded checkout flow without requiring the user to leave the conversational AI interface.

This early trial is currently restricted to a limited group of users and a narrow selection of product categories, primarily focusing on smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories. Other users interacting with Gemini and AI Mode continue to encounter standard product listings from Flipkart that lack the direct in-interface purchasing option.

Industry sources indicate that Google intends to scale and roll out this conversational commerce experience more broadly later in October, strategically timing the expansion ahead of India’s high-stakes festive shopping season, which stands as one of the most lucrative commercial periods of the year for the nation’s retail sector.

The introduction of this test reflects a broader industry trend. Google and major competitors, including OpenAI, are actively embedding commerce capabilities directly into their AI offerings. These technology companies are striving to evolve past merely answering shopping queries and providing product recommendations, seeking instead to secure a direct role in executing online purchases and capturing valuable transaction data.

When questioned regarding the Flipkart integration, a Google spokesperson stated that the company is continually testing new features and experiences to help users discover and connect with businesses more smoothly. The spokesperson added that the company routinely conducts a variety of experiments and currently has no further operational details to disclose.

Independently, Google has been developing underlying infrastructure designed to facilitate transactions directly through its AI services. Earlier this year, the company introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol, known as UCP. This open standard was engineered to allow AI agents to interact seamlessly with retailers across the entire shopping journey, including the final checkout stage. At the time of its announcement, Google stated that the technology would enable shoppers to buy eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode utilizing a Google-hosted checkout experience. Since that initial launch, the company has expanded UCP with additional capabilities, such as permitting shoppers to transfer selected items directly to a retailer’s external website to complete a purchase.

However, the Flipkart integration observed in recent tests diverges from the Google-hosted checkout experience previously demonstrated by the company. Instead of routing the consumer through a Google-managed payment portal, tapping the Buy button summons a native, Flipkart-branded checkout flow. It remains unclear which specific technological architecture powers this direct partnership.

Earlier this month, Google publicly identified Flipkart as one of the key merchants partnering with the company to introduce what it terms "agentic" shopping experiences to consumers across India. At that time, however, Google refrained from disclosing specific details concerning the test parameters or the precise rollout timeline.

Google’s deepening operational ties with Flipkart are also underpinned by a prior financial commitment. In 2024, Google invested approximately $350 million in the Indian e-commerce giant as part of a larger funding round led by Walmart, thereby securing a minority equity stake in the company alongside their evolving technological collaboration.

India represents the world’s second-largest internet market, boasting well over a billion internet subscribers. Within this massive digital economy, Flipkart and Amazon engage in a fierce, sustained battle for online shoppers. This competitive rivalry intensifies significantly during the country’s annual festive season, during which e-commerce platforms roll out their largest promotional campaigns, discounts, and marketing spectacles of the year.

For the time being, the direct purchase option is not appearing uniformly across all retail platforms surfaced by Google’s AI services. In the experiences observed by industry analysts, product listings from competing platforms, including Amazon, continue to appear alongside Flipkart items within search and AI results, but they lack the integrated feature that allows users to complete a transaction entirely within the conversational interface.

Flipkart did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the ongoing tests.