Google is testing a new AI-powered shopping experience in India that would help users move from product discovery to checkout. The company has started testing a feature that lets Gemini and Google Search AI Mode users buy products from Flipkart through a Buy button that is displayed alongside eligible listings. Instead of manually opening Flipkart and searching for the same product, users can simply go from the AI-based shopping experience to a Flipkart-branded checkout.
The feature is currently being tested with a small number of users and a fairly small range of products. Smartphones and electronics are among the categories that were on the early trial. Google is expected to expand the feature to more users and categories later in October, but a particular public launch date has not been announced.
How Gemini’s Flipkart Buy Button Works
The new shopping experience will transform Gemini from being a product discovery and comparison tool to a more direct starting point for online purchases. Gemini or Google Search’s AI Mode will help shoppers show what they look for, compare products and find listings that do what they want.
When an eligible Flipkart product appears, some users may see a Buy button. Selecting that option takes the shopper toward a Flipkart-branded checkout experience. The actual transaction is then still with Flipkart but not made a completely Google-hosted purchase.
The shopping journey can be thought of as asking Gemini for a product, discovering and comparing available options, selecting an eligible Flipkart listing, and then proceeding to checkout. This could reduce the number of steps in moving from an AI recommendation to a purchase.
Feature Is Still Limited To Selected Users
The Buy option is not currently available to every Gemini or AI Mode user in India. The feature is being tested with a limited audience and selected products. This means two users searching for the same smartphone or electronic device may not necessarily see the same purchase option.
Some shoppers may still see ordinary Flipkart product listings without a direct Buy button. That does not necessarily mean the product or retailer is unavailable. Instead, the difference can be attributed to the limited nature of Google's ongoing experiment.
The initial product selection also means that consumers should not expect that every category on Flipkart is just a place to buy products directly through Gemini. The reported focus on smartphones and electronics allows Google to test how AI-based product discovery works in categories where many consumers compare specifications, prices and features.
AI Shopping Moves Beyond Product Recommendations
For years online shopping through search engines has been a pretty straightforward process. People search for a product, go through a series of options, visit an e-commerce site and then pay for it online. AI assistants have changed this discovery process for consumers by allowing them to ask for shopping in conversational language.
For example, a shopper might ask Gemini to find a 5G smartphone under ₹30,000 with a large battery and a capable camera. Instead of repeatedly doing a lot of searches and manually filtering for that phone’s needs, the user can present them in one request.
The Flipkart test takes the process one step further by connecting product discovery more closely to the purchasing journey. If an eligible listing includes a Buy button, the user can proceed toward checkout without separately opening Flipkart and repeating the product search.
And that could make conversational shopping more relevant to everyday e-commerce in India, especially for products where consumers already rely heavily on online comparisons.
Amazon Listings Can Also Appear
The Flipkart Buy button does not mean that Gemini only displays Flipkart products. Amazon listings can also appear in AI-powered shopping results. The current test, however, gives selected Flipkart listings a direct purchase option, while Amazon listings do not get the same treatment.
In the case of consumers, the distinction could become more important if Google expands the feature. AI-generated shopping comparisons could bring products from different retailers together in a single conversation, but the experience with the purchase can be different for each retailer.
As AI becomes more involved in online commerce, clear information about the retailer, product variant, price, seller and delivery terms will be very important.
Google And Flipkart Already Have A Commercial Connection
Google's experiment with Flipkart also comes against the backdrop of an existing relationship between the two companies. In 2024, Google invested $350 million in Flipkart as part of a funding round led by Walmart and received a minority stake in the Indian e-commerce company.
Flipkart and Amazon remain the main players in India’s online retail business. The competition is especially acute during the country's festive shopping period in which millions of people buy smartphones, electronics, appliances, fashion products, etc.
The timing of Google’s reported expansion plans may be crucial. A wider launch in October would bring the feature closer to India’s key festive shopping period, and Google would have the opportunity to test AI-assisted shopping in October, which is when the number of online shopping is most robust.
What Consumers Should Check Before Buying
Even with the convenience of AI-assisted shopping, consumers will still need to verify necessary purchase details before completing an order. And a product recommendation made by an AI assistant should not be treated as a sign that the deal we’re looking at is the best or the final one.
Shoppers should check the exact model and storage variant, seller information, final price, applicable bank discounts, exchange conditions, delivery charges and estimated delivery date before completing a purchase.
This is especially so during festive sales, for example, where the price of products can be the result of payment methods, exchanges or a limited-time promotion. Consumers should also make sure that the product they choose on the AI interface is the one that they want to purchase.
As AI becomes more involved in transactions, questions of transparency, privacy, payment security and user control will also be more important. The convenience of moving from a conversational request to checkout will need to be balanced with clear information about what the AI assistant is recommending and where the actual transaction is taking place.
What Happens Next?
Google has not announced a full public launch date for the Flipkart Buy feature. For now, it is a limited test for some users and selected products.
If the October expansion is successful, Gemini and Google’s AI Mode will become a more prominent entry point for online shopping in India. And AI could help to more accurately compare products so shoppers can directly connect with retailers rather than just guide them to products.
For Indian consumers, the change could make online shopping more conversational and reduce the number of steps between product discovery and checkout. But the feature is still experimental and its availability, product coverage and shopping experience will be dependent on Google’s test and retailers’ response.
