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 sanction decision.
According to ReutersA confidential order from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) showed that Apple agreed last month to provide its India-specific financial data, which the watchdog typically needs to calculate potential fines. At a hearing on May 21, Apple’s lawyer requested a “final extension” until June 25 to file the information, and the ICC granted the request.
This development represents a significant turnaround for Apple, which had previously refused to provide financial information to the regulator. The company argued that the case should be put on hold while it separately challenges India’s revised antitrust sanctions law, which allows fines to be imposed on a company’s global revenues rather than just local profits, which could expose Apple to fines of up to $38 billion.
The CCI has repeatedly rejected this argument, saying it only requires India’s financial data to begin with and accusing Apple of using the parallel legal challenge to delay proceedings. Last month, a Delhi High Court judge ordered Apple to cooperate with the investigation after the company tried to stay the case.
The case dates back to 2021, when a coalition of plaintiffs including Match Group, which owns Tinder, and the Alliance of Digital India Foundation, which represents Indian startups, filed a complaint over App Store policies. The ICC concluded its investigation in 2024, finding that Apple had abused its dominant position in the iPhone apps market and that the App Store was “an essential business partner” for developers, who were not allowed to use third-party payment services for in-app purchases.
The deal comes as India becomes one of the most important markets for Apple. The iPhone accounts for 9% of India’s smartphone market, up from about 2% five years ago, and the company has significantly ramped up its manufacturing in the country as part of its broader efforts to reduce its dependence on China.
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