Apple India antitrust

India’s antitrust regulator has pushed Apple’s App Store case to a final hearing on May 21 after saying the company still has not handed over requested financial data. (reuters.com) The Competition Commission of India said in an April 8 order that Apple had not submitted its financial details or its response to the investigation since October 2024. The regulator gave Apple two more weeks but, for the first time, fixed a final hearing date. (reuters.com) That hearing follows a 2024 investigation report that said Apple abused a dominant position in the market for apps on iPhones in India. Investigators said Apple required developers to use its own in-app purchase system, which can carry commissions of up to 30%. (reuters.com) India’s case turns on a narrow market definition: not all smartphones, but apps sold to iPhone users. Apple has argued it is a small player in India because phones running Google’s Android system still dominate the broader handset market. (reuters.com) The dispute is now moving from whether Apple broke competition rules to what penalty, if any, the company should face. The Competition Commission typically seeks financial information at this stage because Indian law ties penalties to turnover. (reuters.com) Apple has tried to slow that process by pointing to a separate case in the Delhi High Court, where it is challenging India’s antitrust penalty law. In March 2026, Apple asked the regulator to pause the App Store proceedings while that court challenge plays out, and the regulator refused. (reuters.com) The stakes are larger because India has become a more important Apple market. Counterpoint Research data cited by Reuters says iPhones now hold about 9% of India’s smartphone market, up from 4% two years ago. (reuters.com) The case began in 2021 after a complaint from a non-profit group, and companies including Match and Indian startups later opposed Apple’s App Store rules during the investigation. Apple has denied wrongdoing throughout the case. (reuters.com; reuters.com) Unless the Delhi High Court intervenes first, the May 21 hearing is the next point where India’s regulator can move from findings on Apple’s App Store conduct to a decision on fines or changes to its business practices. (reuters.com; reuters.com)