PM Modi’s Melody gift to his Italian counterpart sends Internet into a frenzy

The bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni broke the Internet on Wednesday. The video clip of PM Modi gifting the Melody toffees to Meloni immediately got traction, clocking nearly 100 million views along with over 56,000 reactions and around 5,000 comments within an hour being posted. Similar attraction for Jhalmuri flooded the social media last month when the PM bought the staple snack of Bengal during the election campaign in the State.

PM Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst into laughter as Meloni jokingly referred to the “Melody” toffee while showcasing the gift. Social media platforms were flooded with memes, screenshots and jokes, with many users calling it the “ultimate #Melodi moment”. The hashtag “Melodi”, a blend of Modi and Meloni’s names, was coined by the Italian prime minister during the COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and later went viral on social media following the warm interactions between the two leaders at global events.

In a social media post, Meloni shared a video in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee — Melody.” “Thank you for the gift,” the video caption read.

The viral moment came during PM Modi’s visit to Rome for the fifth and final leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour. Shortly after arriving in the Italian capital, the PM met Meloni over dinner and later accompanied her to the iconic Colosseum.

Interestingly, shares of Parle Industries Ltd saw frenzied buying on Wednesday, surging 5 per cent to hit the upper circuit limit after the “Melody” video clip went viral. The company’s stock had a muted beginning to the trade but came into the limelight soon after Meloni shared the video.

Investors wasted no time and flocked to the counter to buy the stock. Shares of the firm jumped 5 per cent to Rs 5.25 — the highest trading permissible limit for the day — on the BSE. On volume terms, 8.57 lakh shares of the firm were traded on the BSE during the day.

However, investors mistook Parle Industries for the maker of Melody toffees. Parle Products, the FMCG major, is the manufacturer of Melody toffees and is not listed on the stock exchanges. The other famous brands of Parle Products are Parle-G, Monaco, KrackJack, Hide & Seek, Kaccha Mango Bite, among others.

The gesture, however, drew sharp reaction from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. “Modi ji wants the public to enjoy the melody of speeches while surviving the misery of his Government’s loot,” he posted on social media.

His remarks came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the PM. “An economic storm is raging over our heads, and our prime minister is busy handing out candies in Italy!” Gandhi posted on social media.

Nonetheless, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal too about the country’s toffee exports climbed 166 per cent in the past 12 years to reach Rs 132 crore in 2025-26. “India’s Toffee Tale would surely be melody to the ears! Exports have grown nearly 166 percent since 2013-14,” Goyal said in a post on social media.