Apple has agreed to provide its India-specific financial information to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), a move that brings the company’s long-running antitrust case closer to a possible penalty decision. The case centers on allegations that Apple abused its position in the iPhone app market through App Store policies that developers claimed were restrictive.
According to Reuters, Apple requested a final extension until June 25 to submit the required financial details, and the CCI approved the request. The regulator typically uses such information when calculating potential penalties in competition cases.
Apple Changes Its Position
Apple had previously refused to provide financial data during the investigation and argued that the proceedings should be paused while it challenged India’s revised antitrust penalty framework in court. The company maintained that the law could allow fines based on global revenue, which raised concerns about a penalty that some estimates placed as high as $38 billion.
However, the CCI rejected those arguments and said it only required Apple’s India revenue data at this stage. A Delhi High Court judge also directed Apple to cooperate with the investigation last month.
“The commission considered the request and granted” an extension until June 25 for Apple to file its “India-specific financial information.”
— Competition Commission of India order reviewed by Reuters
Case Began After Complaints From Developers
The investigation started after complaints filed in 2021 by Match Group, the owner of Tinder, along with the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), which represents Indian startups. The groups raised concerns about Apple’s App Store rules and its in-app payment system.
A CCI investigation completed in 2024 concluded that Apple had exploited its dominant position in the market for iPhone apps.
Apple’s App Store was described as “an unavoidable trading partner” for app developers, who were not allowed to use third-party payment services for in-app purchases.
— CCI investigation findings
The case comes at a crucial time for Apple in India, where the iPhone’s market share has grown from about 2% five years ago to roughly 9% today, while the company continues expanding manufacturing operations in the country. The submission of financial data now clears one of the biggest hurdles before regulators decide whether Apple will face a financial penalty.
