Regulators in India have set a final hearing date over the country's potential $38 billion antitrust fine against Apple and the App Store. Apple is apparently not cooperating.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) determined in July 2024 that Apple has "significant influence" over digital products and services, and that it has abused its market dominance. Consequently, the CCI imposed a fine, but in March of the same year, revised laws came into effect which meant that this fine could be much greater.

Apple is challenging the law which lets India set fines based on global turnover instead of local. According to Reuters, has so far not submitted financial details that the CCI says it needs to calculate the fine.

Apple has also "been afforded adequate opportunities to file [objections]," according to the CCI. It reportedly has not done so.

The financial details concerned are audited statements for 2022 to 2024, which Apple has claimed could mean India fining it $38 billion.

While it argues against the law in a separate New Delhi court, Apple asked the CCI to put its proceedings "in abeyance." The CCI says that Apple is trying to stall the antitrust case, and refused the request.

The regulator has also now set May 21, 2026 as the final hearing date over the antitrust fine. This is the first time it has announced a specific schedule, and reportedly means that the regulator is taking a harder stance against Apple than before.

Apple has not commented on the CCI's rejection of its delay request, nor of the new hearing date.

The company's argument may be less about the calculation of fines based on global turnover, since it is already subject to that with the European Union. Instead, it could be that the period covered by India's accusation of antitrust practices straddles the introduction of the new law.

It's not clear why, or really even if, Apple really believes it would be fined the full $38 billion that its financial records suggest. But all of this is happening as India's government continues to demand the source code for iOS, and the company is expanding manufacturing in the country.

Since at the latest 2022, Apple has been moving an increasing percentage of iPhone production from China to India. It's partly to avoid over-reliance on one source, but also because of trade tensions between China and the US.

As of March 2026, India accounts for one in four of all iPhones sold worldwide.