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Google tests buying from Walmart-owned Flipkart through Gemini and AI Mode in India
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Google has begun testing a new checkout feature that lets Indian shoppers purchase selected products from Walmart-owned Flipkart through Gemini and Google’s AI Mode. Users in the test see a “Buy” button on certain Flipkart listings, taking them into a Flipkart-branded checkout flow without leaving Google’s AI interface. The experiment marks an important expansion of Google’s shopping features, from helping users discover products to potentially completing transactions. It is limited to a small group of users rather than being available across India.
Google’s broader goal is to position Gemini and AI Mode as active shopping assistants rather than tools that merely answer queries or recommend products. The company competes in this emerging market with OpenAI and other companies adding commerce capabilities to their AI platforms. Earlier this year, Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP, an open standard intended to help AI agents interact with retailers throughout the shopping journey. Google has also expanded UCP to support experiences in which shoppers transfer eligible items to a retailer’s website to finish a purchase.
The Flipkart experiment is deliberately narrow, according to people familiar with the matter and an experience seen by TechCrunch. The initial selection includes smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories, while other users continue to see conventional Flipkart product listings without a direct purchase option. Google reportedly plans to expand the test more broadly later in October, before India’s festive shopping season begins. Even that timetable remains tentative because the company has not formally announced general availability.
The checkout observed by TechCrunch appears different from the Google-hosted checkout process Google previously demonstrated. When users tap the Buy button, Google presents a Flipkart-branded flow rather than visibly handing the transaction to a generic checkout page operated by Google. It is not yet clear which technology powers the experiment or how deeply it is integrated with UCP. Google previously identified Flipkart as a merchant involved in agentic shopping initiatives in India, but the companies initially withheld details about the feature and its rollout schedule.
The development is particularly significant in India, the world’s second-largest internet market, where more than one billion people use internet services. Flipkart and Amazon compete aggressively for Indian consumers, especially during the festive season, when major sales promotions can reshape purchasing decisions. A direct Buy button could reduce the number of steps between an AI-generated product recommendation and a completed order. It could also give Google greater influence over how consumers discover, compare, and purchase products online.
Google declined to provide detailed plans, saying only that it regularly tests features intended to help people discover and connect with businesses. A spokesperson did not confirm the scope of the Flipkart experiment or its technology. Flipkart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The companies already have a substantial commercial relationship: Google invested about $350 million in Flipkart in 2024 through a funding round led by Walmart, which also took a minority stake in the Indian e-commerce company.
The feature is not available for every retailer surfaced by Google’s AI services. In TechCrunch’s test, Amazon listings appeared alongside Flipkart products, but those results did not include a direct Buy option. That inconsistency shows that Google still faces a complex technical and commercial task in connecting AI agents to different merchants. Retailers may use separate checkout systems, payment providers, inventory tools, and fulfillment processes, making uniform agentic commerce difficult. Questions about returns, order tracking, customer data, and responsibility for failed transactions will also matter as these systems mature.
A wider October rollout would position Google ahead of the busiest shopping period in India, but success will depend on consumer trust and merchant adoption. Google must make checkout fast and transparent while ensuring that prices, availability, warranties, and delivery terms remain accurate. UCP could eventually provide a common framework for these interactions, reducing the need for every AI platform to build isolated integrations. For now, though, the Flipkart test is an early signal that search and AI assistants are evolving into transaction layers, with Google competing to become the starting point for online shopping in India.
