An Indian court has ruled that Apple must cooperate with a government investigation into its App Store practices, rejecting the company's attempt to stay the case (via Reuters).
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The Delhi High Court's ruling keeps alive the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) investigation, which found in 2024 that Apple had abused its dominant position in the iPhone app market. The CCI wants Apple's financial data to calculate potential penalties, but Apple has so far refused to hand it over.
Apple’s argument is largely procedural. The company is separately challenging the legality of India’s sanctions framework in court and argues that the CCI should wait until that challenge is resolved. India’s updated competition law allows for fines to be imposed based on a company’s global revenue, not just local profits, which given Apple’s scale could mean huge exposure.
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The court didn't grant Apple the stay it wanted, but it did prevent the CCI from issuing a final decision before July 15, giving the company some time. Apple also managed to file some documents in the legal docket, though the court order didn't say what they were.
India is one of Apple's most important growth markets. Counterpoint Research puts the company's iPhone market share there at 9%, up from just 4% two years ago. Apple has also increased iPhone production in the country through Foxconn and Tata as it reduces its reliance on China. A hostile regulatory environment complicates that ambition.
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It is also the latest front in a multi-year global battle over App Store rules. Apple faces similar scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe, where regulators and courts have challenged the company's control over app distribution and in-app payments.
