Amazon and Meesho step up LLM-powered shopping tools as the AI race heats up with Flipkart
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Summary: Amazon and Meesho have launched AI chat shopping tools, growing rivalry with Flipkart's AI search services.
Amazon and Meesho are turning up the heat in India’s AI arms race in online shopping. Both companies have started rolling out large language model (LLM)-powered features that let users interact with a chat-style interface to browse products, discover deals and get personalised recommendations — a move that puts them directly in competition with Flipkart’s AI search tools.
The shift underscores how generative AI is emerging as a top priority for e-commerce platforms, particularly as customer expectations evolve. In a conversational approach powered by AI, consumers can now ask natural queries, such as "What's a good budget smartphone under ₹25,000?" and receive curated lists, recommendations, and comparisons.
What's unique here isn't just the AI, but how it's being used to eliminate friction in the purchasing process. Amazon's chat function uses product catalogues, reviews, and pricing trends to provide users with a rapid, conversational purchasing experience. Meesho’s version similarly blends recommendations with social commerce features, potentially helping sellers and buyers connect faster.
Flipkart was the initial user of this technology, offering AI-enhanced search a year ago, allowing customers to explore products and options using normal language rather than particular keywords. These ideas hope to make shopping online more natural and fun by making product discovery feel like a conversation rather than a search bar task.
Analysts say this isn’t just about bells and whistles — it’s a strategic push to capture attention and loyalty. For Indians, online shopping has become constant, and they are looking for quicker, tailored ways to select from millions of listings. Good AI support can change their experience.
Of course, the real test will be how well these tools work in ordinary situations. Accuracy, relevance, and the capacity to handle local languages and preferences would be critical in India's diverse market. For now, though, the expansion of LLM-based features across Amazon, Meesho and Flipkart signals that AI has moved from experimentation to core shopping experience enhancement in Indian e-commerce.
