Apple withholds data in India antitrust case, watchdog sets final hearing

Published Mon, Apr 20, 2026 · 08:29 PM

[NEW DELHI] Apple has not submitted data sought by India’s antitrust body, after an investigation found that the US company abused its dominant position in the iPhone apps market.

This prompted the watchdog to fast track a decision on penalties to a final hearing in May, an order showed.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in an Apr 8 order that the company has not submitted details of its financials and its views on the investigation since October 2024.

It instead cited a separate case pending in the Delhi High Court where the tech company challenged India’s entire antitrust penalty law.

The CCI typically requires financial information from companies to calculate penalties when they are found to have contravened the law.

Apple, which denies any wrongdoing in the case, said that it feared it could be fined up to US$38 billion if the watchdog uses its global turnover to calculate penalties in the case.

The tech giant has “been afforded adequate opportunities to file” its objections or suggestions to the investigation report, and has also “not submitted the requisite financial information”, said the CCI order, which is not public but was reviewed by Reuters.

Apple and the CCI did not respond to Reuters’ queries.

The Indian case is among the many it faces around the globe for alleged antitrust breaches. India is a key market for the company where its iPhones have a 9 per cent market share, against 4 per cent two years ago, said Counterpoint Research.

Although the CCI has given Apple two more weeks to file its responses, it has for the first time fixed a final hearing date of May 21.

Significant step

Lawyers said the setting of a final hearing date signalled that the watchdog was hardening its stance.

Gautam Shahi, an antitrust partner at Dua Associates, said: “Apple has the opportunity right now to submit its financials supported by an auditor’s certificate, and then argue on quantum of penalty during the hearing based on these financials.

“In case it fails, its arguments on quantum of penalty will be constrained accordingly.”

The case started in 2021 after a non-profit group opposed its practices. Later, Tinder-owner Match and Indian startups also opposed it.

CCI investigators issued a report in 2024 that Apple exploited its dominant position in the apps market, by forcing developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase system.

The company denied wrongdoing by arguing that it is a small player in India, where phones that use Google’s Android system are dominant.

In its Apr 8 order, the watchdog also noted that the company requested the CCI in March to put its proceedings “in abeyance”, while the Delhi High Court hears its challenge to penalty law.

The CCI rejected that demand. The watchdog has maintained that Apple is trying to stall the antitrust case by challenging the penalty law. REUTERS