Apple Escalates India antitrust battle, accuses regulator of ‘Copy-Pasting’ Rivals’ claims

Apple has sharply escalated its legal fight with Indian antitrust authorities, accusing investigators of relying on a "copy-paste" of complaints from rivals rather than conducting an independent probe, and has called for the findings against it to be thrown out.

Apple has sharply escalated its legal fight with Indian antitrust authorities, accusing investigators of relying on a “copy-paste” of complaints from rivals rather than conducting an independent probe, and has called for the findings against it to be thrown out. In a June 25 submission to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the tech giant claimed that the regulator’s 2024 conclusion that it engaged in “abusive conduct” on its iOS platform was based on flawed reasoning and insufficient independent analysis .

The company has specifically denied abusing its market position, arguing it is a “minuscule player” with less than a 6% share of India’s smartphone market, and therefore cannot be considered dominant . It warned that any “forced alterations” to its App Store could disrupt its integrated business model and create regulatory uncertainty that “could deter investments in India’s digital economy” .

In its submission, Apple provided tables to show the CCI’s investigation team had “parroted” submissions from opponents in the case, including Match Group, Walmart’s PhonePe, and Indian rival Paytm . The company said the Director General “made no effort whatsoever to independently verify or critically assess these statements” . Apple also claimed the probe “blindly replicated” a graphic on global consumer spending from a 2024 EU ruling, ignoring India’s different market conditions .

The case is scheduled for a closed-door hearing on July 21 . The watchdog has separately accused Apple of stalling for more than two years. The dispute comes as India grows increasingly central to Apple’s business, with the country set to produce 26% of the world’s iPhones in 2026 .