CCI antitrust probe: Apple agrees to provide India business financial data

iPhone maker Apple has agreed to submit the financial details of its India business to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to further cooperate with an investigation into allegations that the US firm abused its dominant market position.

According to a confidential order of the CCI, reviewed by Reuters, Apple agreed last month to provide information that it had previously declined to share. The details are crucial for calculations before imposing any fines by the industry watchdog.

This is one of the most high-profile cases for Apple yet and a major regulatory headache for the tech giant, considering its rapidly growing share in India’s smartphone market. For example, five years ago, Apple had only a 2% market share in India, and now it accounts for 9% of the country’s smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research data.

At a hearing on May 21, Apple's counsel sought a "final extension" until June 25 to submit the company's India-specific financial information. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) accepted the request and granted the extension, according to the order.

What is the case?

The development follows a CCI investigation that concluded in 2024 that Apple had abused its dominant position in the market for iPhone app distribution.

The case against Apple dates back to 2021 and was brought by a non-profit organisation, Match Group, the owner of Tinder, and the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), which represents Indian startups. The complainants raised concerns over several aspects of Apple's App Store practices, including its proprietary in-app payment system.

Apple has denied the allegations and said it would challenge the findings. The company had also declined to provide details of its financials during the course of the proceedings.

Apple has consistently argued that the proceedings should be put on hold as it separately challenges India's revised antitrust penalty framework, which allows the CCI to calculate penalties based on a company's global turnover rather than its India revenue alone. According to Apple, the regulator's request for its global financial details could expose the company to a potential penalty of as much as $38 billion.

The CCI has repeatedly rejected Apple's argument, maintaining that it initially sought only the company's India-specific financial information and accusing the iPhone maker of delaying the proceedings through parallel litigation. Last month, a court directed Apple to cooperate with the regulator's investigation.