Google tests Flipkart shopping inside Gemini

Google has started testing a way for shoppers in India to buy products from Flipkart, one of the country's biggest online retailers, directly from inside its Gemini assistant and its AI Mode in search.

The move is part of a push by Google to take its AI services beyond helping people find products and into completing purchases.

How it works

Users taking part in the test see a "Buy" button on some Flipkart product listings shown in Gemini and AI Mode. Tapping it brings up a Flipkart-branded checkout, so shoppers can complete their purchase without leaving the AI interface.

The early test is limited to some users and a small range of products, including smartphones, electronics and mobile accessories. Google plans to roll the feature out more widely later in October, ahead of India's festive shopping season, one of the busiest times of the year for online retailers.

An existing relationship

Flipkart is owned by the American retailer Walmart. Google has both a technology partnership and a financial relationship with the company: it invested about 350 million dollars in Flipkart in 2024, taking a minority stake, as part of a funding round led by Walmart.

The race for AI shopping

Technology companies see shopping as one of the most valuable uses of AI assistants. If people ask an assistant for advice on what to buy, the company that can also complete the sale stands to gain a share of the spending, as well as valuable information about what customers want.

The idea is sometimes called agentic commerce, where AI systems carry out tasks such as comparing products, finding deals and placing orders for their users. Rivals including OpenAI and Amazon are working on similar features.

A big market

India is one of the fastest-growing markets for online shopping, with hundreds of millions of people shopping on their phones. Success there could shape how AI shopping develops in other countries.