From TechCrunch · Jagmeet Singh · · 2m
Google lets shoppers buy from Flipkart through Gemini in India
Google is testing direct purchases from Walmart-owned Flipkart within its AI services, moving beyond product discovery into transactions.
In brief
Google is testing direct purchases from Walmart-owned Flipkart within its AI services, moving beyond product discovery into transactions. Google is testing a Buy button in Gemini and AI Mode that lets Indian shoppers purchase directly from Flipkart without leaving the AI interface, expanding its commerce capabilities…
Google tests direct shopping in Gemini
Google has started testing a Buy button in Gemini and AI Mode that lets shoppers in India purchase products from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly without leaving the AI interface.
Limited test with select products
The early test is limited to some users and a small selection of products, including smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories. Other users continue to see regular product listings without the buy option.
Broader rollout planned for October
Google plans to roll out the experience more broadly later in October, ahead of India's festive shopping season, one of the people said.
Google moves beyond product discovery
The test comes as Google and rivals, including OpenAI, are adding commerce capabilities to their AI offerings, moving beyond answering shopping queries and recommending products to playing a more direct role in online purchases.
Google's Universal Commerce Protocol
Earlier this year, Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol as an open standard designed to let AI agents interact with retailers across the shopping journey, including checkout. The company has since expanded it with other capabilities.
Google's financial stake in Flipkart
Google has a financial relationship with Flipkart beyond their technology partnership. It invested about three hundred fifty million dollars in the e-commerce company in two thousand twenty-four as part of a funding round led by the U.S. retailer, taking a minority stake.
Flipkart gets exclusive buy option
For now, the Buy option is not appearing across all retailers surfaced by Google's AI services. Listings from rivals, including Amazon, appeared alongside Flipkart products but did not offer the option to purchase directly through the AI interface.
India's competitive e-commerce market
India, the world's second-largest internet market with more than a billion internet subscribers, sees Flipkart and Amazon compete fiercely for online shoppers. That competition intensifies during the country's festive season, when e-commerce companies roll out their biggest sales.
What it means
Google is testing a Buy button in Gemini and AI Mode that lets Indian shoppers purchase directly from Flipkart without leaving the AI interface, expanding its commerce capabilities ahead of the festive shopping season.
