Apple has agreed to provide financial information related to its operations in India to the country’s competition regulator, a move that could accelerate a long-running antitrust investigation into the company’s business practices in one of its fastest-growing markets.
According to Reuters, the decision marks a significant development in a case that has been under review for several years and could eventually lead to penalties if India’s competition watchdog concludes that Apple violated antitrust rules.
The investigation, led by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), stems from complaints filed in 2021 by a coalition of Indian startups, the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), along with Match Group, the parent company of dating app Tinder. The complainants have challenged Apple’s App Store policies, particularly its in-app payment system and restrictions placed on developers.
Per Reuters, Apple had previously resisted providing the requested financial information, arguing that the case should be delayed while courts consider a separate legal challenge to India’s revised competition law. The company has contended that the law could allow regulators to calculate fines based on global revenue rather than revenue generated within India. Apple argued that such an approach could expose it to penalties reaching as high as $38 billion.
Indian regulators, however, have repeatedly maintained that they initially requested only the company’s India-specific financial data and accused Apple of attempting to prolong proceedings through parallel legal actions. Reuters reported that a judge last month instructed Apple to “cooperate” with the investigation.
The latest development was first reported by Reuters. Neither Apple nor the Competition Commission of India responded to Reuters requests for comment.
The case represents one of Apple’s most prominent regulatory challenges in India, where the company has steadily increased both its manufacturing footprint and market presence. As Apple seeks to reduce its dependence on China for production, India has become an increasingly important hub for iPhone assembly.
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The company’s share of India’s smartphone market has also grown significantly. According to data from Counterpoint Research cited by Reuters, iPhones now account for approximately 9% of smartphone sales in India, compared with about 2% five years ago.
Investigators have already issued findings that raise concerns about Apple’s influence over app developers. According to Reuters, the investigation concluded that Apple’s App Store functions as “an unavoidable trading partner” for developers and that app makers were not allowed to use third-party payment services for in-app purchases.
Apple has consistently argued that it remains a relatively small player in India’s smartphone sector, where devices powered by Google’s Android operating system dominate the market.
The dispute echoes broader global scrutiny of mobile app store practices. Regulators in multiple jurisdictions have examined whether Apple and Google exert excessive control over digital marketplaces by requiring developers to use their own payment systems and by charging commissions on transactions.
India has already taken action against Google on similar grounds. In 2022, the Competition Commission of India imposed a $113 million fine on Google, finding that the company had used its “dominant position” to require developers to use its in-app payment system. Google denied any wrongdoing.
According to Reuters, Apple has now also been asked to submit any formal objections it may have to the investigation’s findings, potentially bringing the case closer to a final determination on whether penalties or corrective measures will be imposed.
With India’s digital economy expanding rapidly and local startups pushing for greater competition in app marketplaces, the outcome of the case could have significant implications for how global technology companies operate in the country.