Google tests buying from Walmart-owned Flipkart through Gemini and AI Mode in India

What happened

Google is currently testing an in-app Gemini shopping integration with Walmart-owned Flipkart for a subset of users in India, with plans to expand the test rollout over time. Concurrently, Google announced it will retire the custom AI assistant feature Gems — first launched in 2024 — by November 17, 2026. The system will automatically migrate all user Gems content to cross-task callable skills; existing Gems will remain functional during the transition period, and no user custom content will be lost, as Google seeks to compete with rival products.

Key facts

Publishing organization

Google

Functional adjustment effective date

November 17, 2026

Feature slated for retirement

Gemini Gems custom AI assistant, first launched in 2024

Replacement functionality

AI skills that can be invoked across different AI tasks

Shopping test region

India

Partner e-commerce platform

Walmart-owned Flipkart

Background

Leading AI developers are now shifting product iteration away from disconnected custom components toward lightweight, cross-scenario invocation logic. Integrated AI agent products such as Meta Muse and Instinct have already put competitive pressure on Gemini, as Google has recently expanded Gemini’s local service use cases.

Why it matters

At the industry level: the shift validates the trajectory of AI agents evolving from disconnected custom components to lightweight, cross-scenario invocation. For technical developers: the slash-triggered skill interaction model aligns more closely with their existing workflow habits. For end users: while custom content will migrate smoothly, the new interaction entry point is not intuitive enough, which may raise barriers to use.

What to watch

Going forward, stakeholders can monitor the real-world effectiveness of the Gems-to-skills migration, the expansion pace of the India Gemini shopping test, and associated user feedback.