For four years, Apple played a careful legal game in India — deny wrongdoing, challenge the law, delay the paperwork. That strategy appears to be running out of road.
Apple has agreed to submit India-specific financial data to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the country's antitrust watchdog, by June 25. A confidential CCI order reviewed by Reuters confirms the move, which came at a May 21 hearing where Apple's lawyer formally requested a "final extension" to file the figures. The commission granted it.
It's a notable reversal. Apple had previously refused to hand over any financial information, arguing the entire case should be put on ice while it separately fought India's revised antitrust penalty law in court. That law is the crux of Apple's resistance — it allows fines based on a company's global revenue, not just what it earns in India. Under that framework, Apple's exposure could reach as high as $38 billion.
The CCI repeatedly rejected Apple's delay tactics, insisting it only needed India-specific financials to begin with. Last month, a Delhi High Court judge told Apple plainly to cooperate. It seems that message landed.
The case itself dates back to 2021, brought by a coalition including Match Group (owner of Tinder) and the Alliance of Digital India Foundation, which represents Indian startups. The complaint centred on Apple's App Store policies — specifically, forcing developers to use Apple's proprietary in-app billing system and blocking any third-party payment alternatives.
The CCI wrapped up its investigation in 2024, concluding that Apple had abused its dominant position and that the App Store functioned as an "unavoidable trading partner" for developers.
The timing matters beyond the courtroom. India is one of Apple's fastest-growing markets, with iPhone now commanding 9% of the smartphone market — up from just 2% five years ago. Apple has also been aggressively ramping up manufacturing in India to reduce its dependence on China. Picking a prolonged regulatory fight with New Delhi was always an awkward position to hold.
With financial data now on the table, the CCI has what it needs to move toward a penalty decision. Whether Apple contests the eventual fine is another question — but the stalling phase, for now, appears to be over.