NEW DELHI – Seven Samsung executives in India have appealed to the courts to overturn $81 million in penalties, part of a larger $601-million tax demand from Indian authorities. This tax dispute centres on claims that Samsung misclassified certain imported mobile tower equipment between 2018 and 2021.
According to legal documents and a source close to the case, the executives argue that no serious offence took place.
In January, Indian tax officials said Samsung and its leaders had avoided paying tariffs by labelling imports incorrectly. Samsung has denied any wrongdoing and has taken the matter to a tax appeals tribunal, defending its import declarations.
While Samsung’s Indian subsidiary faces a $520 million tax bill, the employees are challenging additional penalties totalling $81 million. Authorities claim these staff members “knowingly and intentionally” took part in the alleged misclassification.
Court documents from Mumbai, reviewed by Reuters but not made public, show that Ravi Chadha, a logistics executive at Samsung India, said officials imposed the penalties just two or three days after receiving detailed responses from Samsung and its staff.
Chadha called the process rushed and argued that the short timeframe did not allow for a proper review of the case. He also stated that the matter only concerns how tariff rules are read, not any serious misconduct.
Chadha faces a penalty of 950 million rupees ($11.1 million). He described the fine as “egregiously exorbitant” and said it would take him more than a century to pay the amount on his salary.
The six other executives challenging the penalties include Sung Beam Hong, vice president of Samsung’s network division; Sheetal Jain, a finance general manager; and Nikhil Aggarwal, general manager for indirect taxes.
According to a source with direct knowledge, all seven executives are using the same legal arguments. Their lawyer, Sriram Sridharan from Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, had not responded to requests for comment.
The law firm also represents Samsung in the ongoing tax tribunal case. Samsung India and Chadha declined to comment on the case. The Indian tax authority did not reply to press requests for a statement.
Tax evasion in India is a significant issue, involving illegal practices to avoid paying taxes owed to the government. It includes underreporting income, inflating deductions, hiding money in offshore accounts, smuggling, bribery, and using fake documents to claim exemptions.
While the government has implemented measures like GAAR, amnesty schemes, and raids, challenges like weak enforcement and complex global financial systems persist.
Samsung updates Galaxy S22 in India
In other news, Samsung has started rolling out a new software update for the Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra in India. This update brings the May 2025 security patch. Earlier this month, Samsung released Android 15-based One UI 7.0 to these devices, along with the April 2025 security patch.
The latest update is now live for international variants of the Galaxy S22 series in India, carrying the firmware version S90xEXXSCFYE3 for models SM-S901E, SM-S906E, and SM-S908E.
Users can download the update by going to Settings, selecting Software update, and then tapping Download and install. Samsung is expected to release the update to other variants and in more countries soon.
Samsung was late with the One UI 7 rollout, but the company plans to release Android 16-based One UI 8.0 much sooner. Google is set to launch Android 16 almost three months earlier than usual, and Samsung wants to avoid repeating earlier delays.
The Galaxy S22 series will get the Android 16-based One UI 8.0 update. A full list of eligible devices is available online. Samsung is also developing One UI 8.0 Watch, based on Wear OS 6, for its Galaxy Watch models, so Galaxy Watch owners can expect another major software update in the future.
