The trial, first reported by TechCrunch, puts a "Buy" button on select Flipkart listings that appear in Google's AI interfaces, opening a Flipkart-branded checkout flow right inside the conversation.
The experiment marks Google's most direct move yet from using AI for product discovery to letting its AI systems complete purchases.
Until now, Gemini and AI Mode could recommend products and link out to retailers; the new test lets eligible shoppers finish the transaction without returning to a conventional search page or the Flipkart website.
Limited trial, wider rollout eyed for October
The feature is currently available only to a small number of users and covers a limited catalogue of products, including smartphones, electronics and mobile accessories, according to people familiar with the development and a version of the interface seen by TechCrunch.
Other users still see standard Flipkart listings without the direct-purchase option.
Google is reportedly aiming for a broader rollout later in October, ahead of India's festive shopping season -- and just ahead of Flipkart's Big Billion Days sale, which begins on October 9, with early access for Plus and Black members from October 8.
Neither Google nor Flipkart has confirmed the timeline, and a Google spokesperson said only that the company regularly tests new features that help users discover and interact with businesses.
Agentic commerce heats up
The test differs from an approach Google demonstrated earlier, in which orders placed through Gemini and AI Mode went through a Google-hosted checkout.
The Flipkart experiment instead routes users into Flipkart's own checkout process, and the underlying technology has not been disclosed.
The move is part of a broader industry shift toward agentic commerce, as AI companies race to move beyond answering questions to actively facilitating purchases.
OpenAI and Meta are developing shopping and commerce features for their AI platforms as tech giants look for ways to turn AI-driven product discovery into a revenue-generating service.
Google has been preparing for that shift through its Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard designed to let AI agents interact with retailers across the shopping journey, including checkout.
Earlier this month, Flipkart -- in which Google invested about $350 million in 2024 as part of a Walmart-led funding round -- was named among Google's Indian partners for agentic shopping experiences.
The battle for AI shopping access is already getting tense.
Amazon recently blocked Meta's personal AI agent, Muse, from accessing its shopping website, citing privacy and security concerns.
In the Flipkart test, Amazon listings appeared alongside Flipkart products in AI Mode results but did not carry the same in-interface buying option -- a split that underlines how retailer partnerships, not just technology, will decide how AI commerce rolls out.
