{"id":60086,"title":"Google tests direct Flipkart purchases via Gemini in India","publisher":"Stockmark.IT","author":"Stockmark.IT Website","published":"2026-09-28T07:26:24+00:00","modified":"2026-09-28T07:26:24+00:00","canonical_url":"https://stockmark.it/google-tests-buying-from-walmart-owned-flipkart-through-gemini-and-ai/","markdown_url":"https://stockmark.it/google-tests-buying-from-walmart-owned-flipkart-through-gemini-and-ai.md","json_url":"https://stockmark.it/google-tests-buying-from-walmart-owned-flipkart-through-gemini-and-ai.json","category":"Business","categories":["Business","Google"],"featured_image":"https://i0.wp.com/stockmark.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/google-tests-direct-flipkart-purchases-via-gemini-in-india.png?fit=1536%2C1024&quality=80&ssl=1","format":"news","language":"en-GB","content":"Google has commenced a limited trial in India that allows consumers to purchase items from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly through its Gemini and AI Mode interfaces. The initiative marks a significant step for the technology firm as it seeks to extend its artificial intelligence services beyond product discovery into the transactional phase of online shopping. According to individuals familiar with the matter and an experience reviewed by TechCrunch, participating users encounter a dedicated “Buy” button on specific Flipkart product listings. Selecting this option initiates a checkout process within the AI interface, eliminating the need for users to navigate away from the platform to complete their purchase.\n\nThe current test is restricted to a small cohort of users and a limited range of merchandise, primarily comprising smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories. The majority of users continue to view standard product listings from Flipkart within Gemini and AI Mode without the ability to execute direct purchases. Google intends to expand the availability of this feature more broadly later in October, a timing that coincides with the lead-up to India’s festive shopping season. This strategic rollout aligns with a wider industry trend in which Google and competitors, including OpenAI, are integrating commerce capabilities into their AI offerings. The objective is to transition from merely answering shopping queries and recommending products to assuming a more direct role in facilitating online transactions.\n\nIn response to inquiries regarding the Flipkart trial, a Google spokesperson stated that the company is consistently testing new features and experiences to assist people in discovering and connecting with businesses more easily. The spokesperson noted that the firm regularly conducts such experiments and declined to provide further details at this stage. Separately, Google has been developing technology designed to enable purchases through its AI services. Earlier this year, the company introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP, as an open standard intended to allow AI agents to interact with retailers across the entire shopping journey, including checkout. Google indicated at the time that this technology would permit shoppers to buy eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode using a Google-hosted checkout experience. The company has since expanded the UCP with additional capabilities, including the ability for shoppers to transfer items to a retailer’s site to finalise a purchase.\n\nThe Flipkart test observed by TechCrunch appears distinct from the Google-hosted checkout experience previously demonstrated by the company. When a user taps the Buy button in the current trial, a Flipkart-branded checkout flow is presented. It remains unclear what specific technology powers this particular test. Earlier this month, Google announced that Flipkart was among the merchants partnering with it to deliver what it describes as “agentic” shopping experiences to consumers in India, though it did not disclose details of the test or its rollout timeline at that time. Notably, Google maintains a financial relationship with Flipkart alongside its technology partnership. In 2024, Google invested approximately $350 million in the e-commerce company as part of a funding round led by the US retailer, thereby acquiring a minority stake.\n\nIndia represents the world’s second-largest internet market, with more than a billion internet subscribers. In this market, Flipkart and Amazon compete fiercely for online shoppers. This competition intensifies during the country’s festive season, a period when e-commerce companies typically roll out their most significant sales and promotions of the year. For the time being, 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. Flipkart did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on the development."}