Apple has alleged that Competition Commision of India (CCI) has 'copy-pasted' the claims of its competitors to build its anti-trust case against the global conglomerate, according to reports on Monday.
The development comes after a CCI investigation concluded in 2024 that Apple had abused its dominant position in the market for iPhone applications.
The tech giant claimed that the CCI has not undertaken it's own investigation properly and instead opted to repeat the claims of its rivals, using this argument to push for the quashing of the anti-trust body's verdict that it is in breach of competition laws, as per Reuters.
The company stated that the submissions of rival firms such as Tinder's parent company Match, Walmart's PhonePe and Paytm were copied and pasted word for word.
"The Director General (DG) made no effort whatsoever to independently verify or critically assess these statements, often parroting them verbatim," Apple stated, as per Reuters.
The complaint against Apple was originally filed in 2021 by several entities, including the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), Match Group and a non-profit organisation.
The complainants alleged that Apple's App Store policies, particularly its in-app payment system, restricted competition and limited choices for app developers.
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The CCI's investigation found that app developers were effectively compelled to use Apple's proprietary payment mechanism for in-app purchases, reinforcing the company's dominance in the ecosystem.
Apple argued that it has relatively smaller market dominance in India, with it making up 9% compared to Android-powered phones. In 2021, when the CCI had started its investigation, the company occupied 4% of the market share.
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