Google tests Flipkart buy button in AI Mode for India

Google is testing a feature that lets select users in India buy Flipkart products directly through its Gemini and AI Mode interfaces. A 'Buy' button appears on certain Flipkart product listings, taking users to a branded checkout flow without exiting the AI interface.

In the tested experience, rival marketplace listings from Amazon appear alongside Flipkart products. Those Amazon results do not offer the same direct purchase button. The feature is currently limited to a small group of users and a narrow product selection. Other users continue to see standard Flipkart listings without the direct checkout option.

Test is limited but set to expand ahead of India’s festive shopping season

The trial currently reaches only some users and a narrow range of products, with broader rollout planned for October ahead of holiday sales. The limited selection includes smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories.

Google plans to roll out the experience more broadly later in October. This timing aligns with the start of India's major festive shopping season, when e-commerce companies launch their biggest sales events.

How this fits into Google’s broader AI commerce strategy

The Flipkart test aligns with Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol and its effort to enable agentic shopping, moving AI beyond discovery into direct transactions. 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.

Google and rivals including OpenAI are adding commerce capabilities to their AI offerings. The goal is to move beyond answering shopping queries and recommending products to playing a more direct role in online purchases. Google previously named Flipkart as a partner in developing these agentic shopping experiences in India.

The checkout process in this test differs from a Google-hosted checkout option demonstrated earlier. It uses a Flipkart-branded flow. A Google spokesperson stated the company is "always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily."

Google’s investment in Flipkart deepens strategic ties

Google’s $350 million minority stake in Flipkart, led by Walmart, shows its growing financial and operational involvement in India’s e-commerce landscape. The investment was made in 2024 as part of a funding round. It strengthened Google's strategic and financial link to the Walmart-owned marketplace.

Context: Intense Flipkart-Amazon rivalry shapes AI shopping tests in India

The test unfolds in a fiercely competitive market where Flipkart and Amazon vie for dominance, especially during festive sales. India is the world's second-largest internet market with more than a billion internet subscribers. Competition between the two e-commerce giants intensifies during the festive season.

Google plans to roll out the direct purchase capability more broadly later in October, ahead of India’s festive shopping season.