India’s competition watchdog, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has issued a final warning to Apple over its efforts to delay an ongoing antitrust investigation that began in 2021, Reuters reports.
Apple has been involved in an antitrust case in India since 2021 over in-app payment issues, and as a part of that ongoing legal battle, the Cupertino-based tech giant faces a potential fine of $38 billion.
Apple challenged India’s new antitrust penalty law, which could allow CCI to use Apple’s global turnover to calculate the penalty. In response, the CCI asked Apple in October 2024 to file objections to the investigation’s findings and provide financial details typically used to assess penalties. However, Reuters reports Apple has received repeated extensions since then.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
“The Commission is of the considered view that repeated extensions, despite unambiguous directions, undermine procedural discipline and impede the timely conclusion of proceedings,” said CCI in a confidential December 31, 2025, order seen by Reuters.
“Such indulgence cannot be continued indefinitely,” CCI further added.
CCI intends to proceed unilaterally in the case if it doesn’t receive a response from Apple by next week, since the Tim Cook-led tech giant has delayed responses to officials for over a year and undermined the investigation.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, Reuters reports that “Apple views CCI’s December order as a move to preempt the ongoing court proceedings and the company was not likely to respond to it before the judges hear it next on January 27.”
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