Apple Inc. has filed a legal challenge in the Delhi High Court against India’s competition regulator regarding a law that calculates penalties based on a company’s global turnover. The filing, reported on Nov. 27, 2025, comes as the Competition Commission of India (CCI) continues an investigation into the company’s App Store policies.
According to a Reuters report, Apple’s court filing argues that the provision allowing the CCI to levy fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover is “unconstitutional, grossly disproportionate, and unjust.” Based on this calculation method, the U.S. technology firm could face a potential penalty of up to $38 billion, the report stated. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The legal challenge is set against the backdrop of an ongoing antitrust investigation into Apple by the CCI. The probe began after complaints were filed by Match Group, which owns the dating app Tinder, and an alliance of Indian startups. The complainants allege that Apple’s requirement for app developers to exclusively use its in-app payment system, which collects commissions on purchases, constitutes anti-competitive conduct. Apple has denied these allegations.
In a preliminary order issued in December 2021, the CCI said its “prima facie view [is] that mandatory use of Apple’s IAP for paid apps & in-app purchases restrict the choice available to the app developers to select a payment processing system of their choice.” The regulator’s final verdict in the matter has not yet been delivered.
The court filing occurs as Apple continues to expand its market presence and manufacturing operations in India. The company achieved its highest-ever quarterly shipments in the country in the third quarter of 2025, delivering 5 million units, according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Navkendar Singh, associate vice president at IDC India, stated on CNBC’s “Inside India” on Nov. 18 that Apple is projected to sell approximately 15 million iPhones in the country this year.
In 2024, Apple’s exports from its manufacturing facilities in India reached a record $12.8 billion, an increase of over 42% compared to the previous year, as the company diversifies its supply chain.
