Apple is determined to resist India’s order to preload a state-run app, as political opposition mounts.

By Ayush Sachan

Apple is attempting to prevent antitrust proceedings in India by challenging a law that permits penalties to be determined based on global turnover, as reported by the country’s competition regulator. This move is likely to intensify the already strained relationship between New Delhi and the U.S.-based tech giant.

Last month, Apple, the iPhone maker, challenged India’s antitrust penalty law. This law permits the regulator to consider a company’s global turnover when calculating penalties. Apple argues that this legislation could result in disproportionate fines for cases where the breach occurred solely within India.

A final decision on the case, including the fine, is still pending.

On Monday, a lawyer representing the Competition Commission of India (CCI) accused Apple of attempting to “delay the proceedings” that originated in 2021. Apple’s legal counsel requested the court to prevent the regulator from taking coercive actions.

Judges at the Delhi High Court asked the CCI to file a detailed response to Apple’s arguments.

Apple denies wrongdoing, saying it is a smaller player than Google’s dominant Android platform.

The dispute centres on a 2024 amendment that lets CCI use global turnover, not just India revenue, to calculate penalties.

In a private submission to the CCI, reported by Reuters in October, Match argued a fine based on global turnover could “act as a significant deterrent against recidivism”.