Apple to submit India financials as antitrust penalty looms
The Competition Commission of India has accepted Apple’s request to provide local financial data, ending a standoff that had delayed proceedings. The US tech giant faces potential penalties after being found to have abused its dominant position in the iPhone app market.
Apple has agreed to provide financial data for its India operations to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), marking a significant shift in a long-running antitrust investigation. A confidential CCI order, reviewed by Reuters, confirmed that the regulator granted Apple’s legal team a final extension until June 25 to file India-specific financial information. This development brings the case, which began in 2021, closer to a potential penalty decision.
The CCI previously found in 2024 that Apple had abused its dominant market position within the iPhone app ecosystem. The core of the complaint centres on Apple’s proprietary in-app billing system, which prevents app developers from using third-party payment services. The regulator described the App Store as an "unavoidable trading partner" for app makers, a designation that underpins the findings of market abuse.
Apple had previously refused to supply financial details, arguing that the CCI was seeking global figures that could result in a fine of up to $38 billion. The US firm sought to pause the proceedings while it challenged the legality of the CCI’s penalty powers in court, contending that the regulator should only have jurisdiction over local turnover. The CCI has maintained that it only requires India-specific data to begin with and accused Apple of using parallel legal challenges to delay the case.
The dispute has drawn scrutiny from multiple stakeholders. During a May 21 hearing, the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) urged the CCI against further delays. A judge also ordered Apple to "cooperate" with the investigation. The case was initiated by a non-profit group, Tinder-owner Match, and ADIF, raising concerns about the restrictive nature of Apple’s payment systems in a market where Android devices remain dominant.
India represents a critical growth market for Apple, with the iPhone accounting for 9% of the smartphone market, up from approximately 2% five years ago, according to Counterpoint Research data. The company has rapidly expanded iPhone production in the region as part of a broader strategy to diversify its supply chain beyond China. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for digital market regulation in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, following a similar $113 million fine imposed on Google in 2022 for comparable practices.
