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India's Antitrust Regulator Defends Global-Turnover Fines in Apple Case

A January 27 hearing will test Apple's bid to block use of worldwide revenue in penalty calculations.

Overview

  • India’s Competition Commission, in a December 15 court filing, said using global turnover aligns with international practice and ensures meaningful deterrence for multinational firms.
  • Apple has asked the Delhi High Court to strike down the 2024 rule as disproportionate, warning it could face a penalty of about $38 billion, and it denies App Store abuse findings.
  • Apple argues the regulator is applying the change retrospectively to earlier conduct, while the CCI says the amendment clarifies existing powers and can operate retrospectively.
  • The regulator says it requested only India-specific financial details, but Apple contends the scope of disclosures could expose it to a much larger fine under the global-revenue method.
  • The court’s decision could set a penalty benchmark for other multinationals under Indian scrutiny, including Amazon, Google, Pernod Ricard and Publicis.