India’s Competition Commission of India (CCI) has issued a final warning to Apple for repeatedly postponing an antitrust investigation that began in 2021 over its in‑app payment practices. The regulator says Apple’s delays breach procedural orders and threaten to derail the case, which could carry a penalty of up to $38 billion.

Apple challenged the CCI’s 2024 amendment that lets authorities calculate fines using the company’s global turnover, arguing it exceeds Indian law. In October, CCI asked Apple to submit objections and detailed financial data, but the firm secured multiple extensions, prompting the watchdog to warn that indulgence cannot continue indefinitely.

Tim Cook’s team faces a deadline next week; failure to respond will force CCI to proceed unilaterally and could see the fine imposed before the court hearing slated for late January. Observers expect the dispute to test India’s new penalty regime and signal how aggressively the market will police global tech giants.