Apple Reportedly Agrees to Hand Over India-Specific Financial Data to CCI in Years-Long Antitrust Case

Apple has reportedly agreed to hand over financial details about its India operations to the Competition Commission of India (CCI). This marks a notable step in the regulator's ongoing antitrust investigation of the company's business practices in India. The CCI has alleged that Apple abused its dominant position in the iOS ecosystem and App Store. The years-long case is significant for Apple, as India is one of the fastest-growing markets for the Cupertino-based company . This comes at a time when Apple is ramping up the production of iPhone models in India as it plans to reduce its reliance on China.

CCI Order Reveals Apple's Decision to Submit Financial Information

Citing a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order, Reuters reports that Apple has agreed to submit the financials of its India ‌business to the antitrust body, as part of an investigation that found the US firm abused its market position. The Cupertino-based tech company reportedly agreed to supply its India financials, which the watchdog typically needs for penalty calculations.

Apple's lawyer reportedly asked the CCI at a May 21 hearing for a "final extension" until June 25 to ​file its "India-specific financial information", and "the commission considered the request and granted" it. The case is considered critical for Apple, as the country is a key growth market where it has expanded production. The company's iPhone models account for nine percent ​of India's smartphone market, as per Counterpoint Research data.

CCI in an investigation in 2024 found that Apple may have abused its dominant position in the iPhone app market through its App Store practices. However, the company has denied these allegations and challenged the findings. The company initially refused to disclose its financial details, saying that the CCI was seeking global financial data and that it could lead to a fine of up to $38 billion (roughly Rs. 3,53,784 crore) under India's new antitrust law. This law lets the watchdog fine based on global revenue rather than Indian turnover.

Apple has also sought to challenge this law in court and argued that the antitrust proceedings should be paused until that challenge is resolved. The CCI rejected Apple's position, maintaining that it only required Apple's India-specific business details, and accused the company of using parallel legal proceedings to delay the investigation. A judge reportedly directed Apple to cooperate, after which the company agreed to provide the requested India financial information.

The case was filed by the Match Group and the Alliance ​of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) in 2021. The ADIF alleged Apple's proprietary in-app billing ​system, among other ⁠issues.