Apple’s India App Store Case: Procedural Compromise Reached
May 18, 2026 – 8:12 am
An order from the Delhi bench of the court states that Apple must provide financial information to India’s Competition Commission (CCI) and not issue a final ruling before July 15.
The Delhi High Court has instructed Apple to "fully cooperate" with the CCI in its ongoing antitrust investigation of the App Store. The order, posted on the court’s website on Saturday, also directs the CCI not to issue a final ruling before July 15.
Apple had requested a suspension of the investigation while it challenges India’s penalty-calculation rules, but this was denied.
The CCI’s investigation, initiated in 2021 following complaints from Match Group and several Indian startups, concluded in 2024 that Apple abused its dominant position in the iPhone apps market by mandating developers use its proprietary in-app payment system. The regulator has been seeking Apple’s financial data for penalty calculation since then, a request Apple has refused due to ongoing legal challenges.
The Saturday order represents a procedural compromise between these positions. Apple must now hand over the requested financial information while the CCI cannot utilize those figures to issue a final order until at least mid-July. This provides Apple with more time for its penalty-law challenge to proceed through the courts.
The final hearing on the substantive matter was scheduled for May 21, but its status is now uncertain given the order’s language extending the procedural deadline.
The potential penalty in this case is estimated at $38 billion, which Apple has described as the "world’s largest" antitrust fine it could face. However, the actual amount will depend on unresolved legal questions, which the order ensures will not be addressed before summer.
Apple’s business in India has been expanding rapidly, with iPhone market share increasing from 4% to 9% over the past two years, according to Counterpoint Research. The country now accounts for approximately a quarter of Apple’s global iPhone production after producing around 55 million units there in 2025.
The CCI investigation unfolds within India, Apple’s most significant growth market and an integral part of its supply chain. Apple has accused the CCI of exceeding its authority by requesting financial data before the penalty calculation law is finalized. The CCI, in turn, has accused Apple of delaying the process.