Google 在印度测试通过 Gemini 和 AI Mode 直接购买沃尔玛旗下 Flipkart 商品

Google 已开始测试一种新方式，让印度消费者能够直接通过 Gemini 和 AI Mode 购买沃尔玛旗下 Flipkart 的商品。这家搜索巨头希望将其 AI 服务从商品发现进一步扩展至交易环节。

据知情人士透露，且 TechCrunch 已实际体验到该功能，参与测试的用户会在 Gemini 和 Google AI Mode 中出现的部分 Flipkart 商品列表上看到“购买”按钮。点击后，用户无需离开 AI 界面，即可直接进入 Flipkart 的结账流程。

知情人士告诉 TechCrunch，早期测试仅面向部分用户和少量商品，包括智能手机、电子产品及手机配件。其他用户仍会在 Gemini 和 AI Mode 中看到 Flipkart 的常规商品列表，但无法直接通过 AI 界面购买。

其中一名知情人士表示，Google 计划在 10 月晚些时候扩大推出这一体验，赶在印度节日购物季之前上线；这一时期是当地最重要的购物旺季之一。

此次测试正值 Google 及包括 OpenAI 在内的竞争对手为其 AI 产品增加电商能力之际。这些公司正努力突破回答购物问题和推荐商品的范围，在在线购买中扮演更直接的角色。

针对 Flipkart 测试，Google 发言人向 TechCrunch 表示，公司“始终在测试新的功能和体验，以帮助人们更轻松地发现企业并与其建立连接。”该发言人补充称，公司会定期进行实验，目前没有更多细节可分享。

Google 还在另行开发旨在让用户通过其 AI 服务完成购买的技术。今年早些时候，该公司推出了 Universal Commerce Protocol（UCP，通用商业协议）。这一开放标准旨在让 AI Agent 在完整购物流程中与零售商交互，其中包括结账环节。Google 当时表示，该技术将允许消费者通过 Gemini 和 AI Mode，使用由 Google 托管的结账体验购买符合条件的商品。此后，公司又扩展了 UCP 的能力，包括允许消费者将商品转至零售商网站完成购买。

TechCrunch 体验到的 Flipkart 测试，似乎不同于 Gemini 开发商此前展示的 Google 托管结账体验。用户点击“购买”按钮后，会调出一个带有 Flipkart 品牌标识的结账流程。目前尚不清楚这项测试由何种技术驱动。

本月早些时候，Google 表示 Flipkart 是与其合作、为印度消费者带来所谓“Agentic”购物体验的商家之一，但当时并未披露该测试的细节或上线时间表。

值得注意的是，Google 除了与 Flipkart 存在技术合作关系外，也与这家电商公司存在财务关系。Google 在 2024 年作为由这家美国零售商领投的融资轮一部分，向 Flipkart 投资约 3.5 亿美元，并获得少数股权。

印度拥有超过 10 亿互联网用户，是全球第二大互联网市场。Flipkart 与 Amazon 正在当地激烈争夺线上消费者。每逢印度节日季，这种竞争会进一步加剧，电商公司往往会推出全年力度最大的促销和优惠活动。

目前，“购买”选项并未出现在 Google AI 服务展示的所有零售商商品中。在 TechCrunch 体验到的界面里，包括 Amazon 在内的竞争对手商品列表与 Flipkart 商品一同出现，但并未提供通过 AI 界面直接购买的选项。

截至发稿，Flipkart 尚未立即回复置评请求邮件。

Google has started testing a way for shoppers in India to buy products from Walmart-owned Flipkart directly through Gemini and AI Mode, as the search giant looks to expand its AI services from product discovery into transactions.

Users in the test see a “Buy” button on select Flipkart product listings appearing in Gemini and Google’s AI Mode, which takes them directly to a Flipkart checkout flow without leaving the AI interface, according to people familiar with the matter and an experience seen by TechCrunch.

The early test is limited to some users and a small selection of products, including smartphones, electronics, and mobile accessories, the people told TechCrunch. Other users continue to see regular product listings from Flipkart in Gemini and AI Mode without the option to buy them directly from the AI interface.

Google plans to roll out the experience more broadly later in October, ahead of India’s festive shopping season, one of the people said.

The test comes as Google and rivals including OpenAI are adding commerce capabilities to their AI offerings, striving to move beyond answering shopping queries and recommending products to playing a more direct role in online purchases.

Asked about the Flipkart test, a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch the company is “always testing new features and experiences to help people discover and connect with businesses more easily.” The company regularly runs experiments and has no further details to share, the spokesperson added.

Google has separately been building technology aimed at making purchases possible through its AI services. Earlier this year, it introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) as an open standard designed to let AI agents interact with retailers across the shopping journey, including checkout. Google said at the time that the technology would allow shoppers to buy eligible products through Gemini and AI Mode using a Google-hosted checkout experience. The company has since expanded UCP with other capabilities, including allowing shoppers to transfer items to a retailer’s site to complete a purchase.

The Flipkart test seen by TechCrunch appears different from the Google-hosted checkout experience the Gemini maker demonstrated earlier. It brings up a Flipkart-branded checkout flow when a user taps the Buy button. It is not clear what technology powers the test.

Earlier this month, Google said Flipkart was among the merchants partnering with it to bring what it calls “agentic” shopping experiences to consumers in India, but it had not disclosed details of the test or its rollout timeline.

Notably, Google has a financial relationship with Flipkart — alongside its technology partnership with the e-commerce company. It invested about $350 million in the e-commerce company in 2024 as part of a funding round led by the U.S. retailer, taking a minority stake.

India, the world’s second-largest internet market with more than a billion internet subscribers, sees Flipkart and Amazon compete fiercely for online shoppers. That competition intensifies further during the country’s festive season, when e-commerce companies roll out some of their biggest sales and promotions of the year.

For now, the Buy option is not appearing across all retailers surfaced by Google’s AI services. In the experience seen by TechCrunch, listings from rivals including Amazon appeared alongside Flipkart products but did not offer the option to purchase directly through the AI interface.

Flipkart did not immediately respond to an email requesting for comment.