Google turns Gemini into shopping gateway with Flipkart test in India

Google is testing a new way for Indian shoppers to complete purchases directly from its AI-powered services, marking a shift from using Gemini and AI Mode mainly for product discovery to helping users complete transactions.

The trial allows selected users to see a “Buy” button on some Flipkart products displayed in Gemini and Google’s AI Mode. Tapping the button takes shoppers into a Flipkart-branded checkout process without requiring them to return to a conventional Google search.

The limited test covers a small number of products, including smartphones, electronics and mobile accessories, according to people familiar with the development and an experience seen by TechCrunch.

Google is expected to expand the feature later in October, ahead of India’s busy festive shopping season, when online retailers typically compete aggressively for customers.

The development puts Google closer to a broader shift in the technology industry, as AI companies seek to move beyond answering questions and recommending products to becoming an active part of the purchasing process.

OpenAI and other technology companies are also developing commerce features that allow AI systems to participate more directly in online shopping.

Google has been preparing for that shift through its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard designed to enable AI agents to interact with retailers across different stages of a purchase, including checkout.

Google previously demonstrated a system that could allow eligible shoppers to complete purchases through Gemini and AI Mode using a Google-hosted checkout. The Flipkart experiment appears to take a different approach, instead directing users to a Flipkart-branded checkout flow.

The technology behind the current Flipkart test has not been disclosed.

Google said it routinely tests new features aimed at helping users discover and connect with businesses but declined to provide specific details about the Flipkart experiment.

The move is particularly significant because Google is not only a technology partner to Flipkart but also an investor in the company. Google invested about $350 million in Flipkart in 2024 as part of a funding round led by Walmart, acquiring a minority stake.

Flipkart is one of India’s biggest online retailers and competes with Amazon for shoppers in a market of more than one billion internet users.

The timing of Google’s experiment could also give the feature a major commercial testing ground. India’s festive shopping period is one of the busiest periods for e-commerce, with retailers offering large discounts and promotions to attract millions of consumers.

For now, the direct-purchase option remains selective. In the experience reviewed by TechCrunch, Flipkart products displayed the Buy option, while products from other retailers, including Amazon, appeared without the same purchasing functionality.

Google had earlier identified Flipkart as one of the merchants working with it on what it describes as “agentic” shopping experiences in India, but the company had not previously disclosed how the partnership would work in practice.

The test therefore offers an early glimpse of how Google could position Gemini not just as a tool for finding products, but as a gateway connecting consumers, retailers and AI-driven purchasing.