Apple has agreed to hand over financial data to India's competition regulator, in a move that could bring a years-long antitrust case significantly closer to a penalty decision.
According to Reuters, a confidential Competition Commission of India (CCI) order showed that Apple last month agreed to supply its India-specific financials, which the watchdog typically needs to calculate potential fines. At a hearing on May 21, Apple's lawyer asked for a "final extension" until June 25 to file the information, and the CCI granted the request.
The development is an important reversal for Apple, which had previously refused to provide financial information to the regulator. The company argued the case should be paused while it separately challenges India's revised antitrust penalty law, which allows fines to be levied against a company's global revenue rather than just local earnings, which could expose Apple to up to $38 billion in fines.
The CCI repeatedly rejected that argument, saying it required only India financials to begin with and accused Apple of using the parallel court challenge to delay proceedings. Last month, a Delhi High Court judge directed Apple to cooperate with the investigation after the company sought to put the case on hold.
The case dates back to 2021, when a coalition of complainants including Match Group, the owner of Tinder, and the Alliance of Digital India Foundation, which represents Indian startups, filed a complaint regarding App Store policies. The CCI concluded its investigation in 2024, finding that Apple had abused its dominant position in the market for iPhone apps and that the App Store was "an unavoidable trading partner" for developers, who were not permitted to use third-party payment services for in-app purchases.
The case is unfolding as India becomes one of Apple's most consequential markets. The iPhone accounts for 9% of India's smartphone market, up from roughly 2% five years ago, and the company has significantly ramped up manufacturing in the country as part of its broader effort to reduce dependence on China.
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