Apple India antitrust case: CCI gets financial data

Apple has agreed to give the Competition Commission of India financial data for its local business, moving a long-running App Store antitrust case closer to a possible penalty decision in a market central to the company’s iPhone growth plans.

The company sought until 25 June 2026 to provide the figures. Its lawyer described the request as a “final extension”, Reuters reported, after the regulator sought India-specific revenue data for any penalty linked to alleged App Store conduct.

Apple denies wrongdoing. In earlier court filings, it argued that India’s penalty rules could expose it to a much larger bill if global turnover were used, including a potential $US38 billion (about $58 billion) fine seen by Reuters.

No fine has been set.

The case began in 2021, according to Business Standard. It centres on complaints that Apple’s App Store rules restrict developers by requiring its in-app payment system and limiting alternative ways to take payments. Earlier CCI findings described Apple as a gatekeeper for developers trying to reach iPhone users.

Apple is “an unavoidable trading partner” for app developers, the CCI findings said, according to Reuters.

The disclosure order does not decide the case. It gives the regulator a revenue base if it moves from findings about conduct to a penalty calculation.

Competition fights over Apple’s store policies are already running in the European Union, the United States and other markets. India adds a different pressure point because it is both a production base for iPhones and a sales market Apple wants to grow as mature markets slow.

Why the India numbers matter

Financial disclosure is a technical step, not a verdict. Regulators can investigate conduct for years, but a penalty process needs numbers. Once the India figures land, the dispute moves closer to a calculation of what the alleged App Store conduct was worth in the market under review.

Apple had fought the request for months. The company previously asked an Indian court to stop the CCI seeking the data, arguing the regulator’s approach could unfairly pull in worldwide revenue. In May, an Indian court told Apple to “cooperate” with the antitrust case, leaving less room for delay.

That matters because India is no side market for Apple.

Apple’s smartphone share in India has risen to about 9 per cent from about 2 per cent five years earlier, according to Counterpoint Research figures cited by Reuters. Android still dominates, but that premium iPhone slice is commercially important for developers selling subscriptions, games and services.

For Australian readers, India’s move is another sign that app-store enforcement is no longer confined to Brussels and Washington. The ACCC has also scrutinised digital platforms, app marketplaces and payment control, although it has not brought an equivalent Apple penalty case. Multinational technology companies will read the CCI process for clues about how far regulators outside the US and EU will push platform remedies.

Next comes a check on adequacy. The CCI must decide whether Apple’s India financials are sufficient and whether the case should move to the penalty stage. Apple can still contest findings and penalty calculations, while complainants, including the Alliance of Digital India Foundation, will be watching for changes to payment rules rather than only a monetary sanction.

That gives the filing deadline unusual weight. India is becoming a larger part of Apple’s manufacturing plan and a small but faster-growing part of its consumer business. A disclosure order in an antitrust file now sits inside that wider bet.