Google is testing a new feature that lets shoppers in India purchase products from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly through Gemini and AI Mode, marking a shift by the search giant to extend its AI services beyond product discovery and into actual transactions.

Some users are still seeing standard Flipkart product listings in Gemini and AI Mode, without the ability to complete a purchase directly within the AI interface. According to one person familiar with the matter, Google intends to broaden the experience later in October, timed to coincide with India's festive shopping season.

The trial reflects a wider push among Google and competitors such as OpenAI to weave commerce capabilities into their AI products, aiming to go beyond answering shopping questions and suggesting items to take on a more active role in online buying.

A spokesperson said the company routinely conducts experiments and declined to provide additional details.

Separately, Google has been developing technology to enable purchases through its AI services. Earlier this year, it rolled out the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard meant to let AI agents engage with retailers throughout the shopping journey, including at checkout. At the time, Google said the technology would let shoppers buy eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode via a Google-hosted checkout experience. Since then, the company has added more UCP capabilities, such as allowing shoppers to move items over to a retailer's site to finish a purchase.

When a user taps the Buy button, a Flipkart-branded checkout flow appears. What technology underpins the test remains unclear.

Earlier this month, Google named Flipkart as one of the merchants working with it to deliver so-called "agentic" shopping experiences to consumers in India, though it did not reveal specifics about the test or when it would roll out.

Google also has a financial stake in Flipkart, in addition to its technology partnership with the e-commerce company. In 2024, it invested roughly $350 million in the company as part of a funding round led by the U.S. retailer, acquiring a minority stake.

India, the world's second-largest internet market with over a billion internet subscribers, is a battleground where Flipkart and Amazon compete aggressively for online shoppers. The rivalry heats up even more during the country's festive season, when e-commerce firms launch some of their largest sales and promotions of the year.

For the time being, the Buy option is not showing up across all retailers that Google's AI services surface. Flipkart did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.