Apple has significantly escalated its regulatory battle in India, accusing the country’s antitrust investigators of simply “copy-pasting” allegations from its commercial rivals rather than conducting an independent probe. According to regulatory documents filed on June 25 and reviewed by Reuters, the American tech giant has called for the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) investigation findings to be quashed, marking a sharp defense of its iOS App Store model.(Reuters)
The friction stems from a private report issued by CCI investigators in 2024, which concluded that Apple had engaged in “abusive conduct” by forcing developers to use its proprietary in-app payment system. Apple has consistently denied these allegations. In its latest submission, the company emphasizes its minor footprint in the region, noting it holds a minuscule share of less than 6% in India’s heavily Android-dominated smartphone market. Apple argues that the CCI’s conclusions rely entirely on the grievances of competitors like Tinder-owner Match Group, domestic fintech giant Paytm, and Walmart-backed PhonePe, rather than solid, independent analysis.
To back its claims, Apple included tables in its submission highlighting instances where the CCI’s Director General allegedly parroted rival statements verbatim without verification. The tech giant also pointed out that the investigators “blindly replicated” a graphic regarding worldwide consumer spending from a 2024 European Union antitrust ruling against Apple, ignoring the vastly different market dynamics at play in India. A review of the footnotes indicates that both the EU and Indian reports utilized data from the research platform Statista.
This defense strategy mirrors one previously used by Alphabet’s Google, which also argued that Indian watchdogs plagiarized parts of a European ruling during a 2023 Android antitrust case. The CCI denied the allegations at the time, and Google was ultimately forced to alter how it promotes its operating system in India.
The high-stakes standoff arrives at a sensitive moment for Apple. While the company faces global antitrust scrutiny across the US and Europe, India has become a cornerstone of its manufacturing diversification away from China. According to Counterpoint Research, India is projected to manufacture 26% of the world’s iPhones in 2026, a massive leap from just 6% four years prior. Apple warned that any forced behavioral remedies or penalties would disrupt its integrated business model, inject regulatory uncertainty, and potentially deter future investments in India’s digital economy.
Conversely, the CCI has accused Apple of intentionally stalling the investigation for over two years by delaying responses and launching parallel legal challenges against India’s antitrust penalty laws. Under these laws, companies face potential fines of up to 10% of their turnover from the preceding three years, which could translate into millions of dollars. Apple noted it has submitted its relevant local turnover data for fiscal years 2022–24 as required, but maintains that the investigation was procedurally flawed because officials denied the company a single opportunity to provide oral evidence or record formal statements.
Legal experts note that while an oral hearing during the investigation phase is desirable, the CCI’s investigative team is not legally mandated to provide one if they believe the written evidence is already conclusive. The core members of the CCI are scheduled to review these arguments during a closed-door hearing with all involved parties on July 21, where they will ultimately decide whether Apple’s complaints hold weight or if structural penalties are warranted.
