Rome:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a special gift from India for his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni during his trip to Rome: a packet of Parley’s Melody toffee. The sweet gift was a play on ‘Melodi’, a light-hearted moniker given to the friendly personal camaraderie between the two powerhouse leaders.
Sharing the video of PM Modi’s sweet gesture on her social media accounts, Meloni wrote, “Thank you for the gift”. It featured both PM Modi and Meloni holding a packet full of the popular Indian candy, often known by its ‘very, very chocolaty’ tagline, as they laughed over the cheerful internet trend.
In the clip, the Italian Prime Minister says, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift a very, very good toffee.”
“Melody”, says PM Modi.
Thank you for the gift pic.twitter.com/7ePxbJwPbA
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) May 20, 2026
The ‘Melodi’ Diplomacy
‘Melodi’– a portmanteau of Meloni and PM Modi — have been the butt of many viral clips and memes depicting warm, unscripted moments between the two leaders at multilateral summits, racking up millions of views. In June 2025, Meloni herself captioned a small selfie video with PM Modi from their G7 Summit interactions, saying, “Hello, from the Melodi team.”
Since then, similar interactions at global events have reinforced the perception of a warm personal chemistry between the two leaders.
But the Modi-Meloni bond is not a mere photo opportunity. It is foreign policy in motion. But beneath the smiles and internet trends– Europe, especially Italy, has emerged as India’s most consequential global partner. Both nations are working towards the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) that anchors Rome as Europe’s gateway to the Indo-Pacific. The corridor aims diversify global trade routes and reduce dependence on Beijing-led infrastructure networks.
Bilateral trade between the two nations has crossed $16.77 billion, and the relations are gaining a new and higher dimension that combines the economic dynamism, societal creativity, and millennia-old civilisational wisdom of the two countries.
“The relationship between India and Italy has now reached a decisive stage. In recent years, our ties have expanded with unprecedented momentum, evolving from a cordial friendship into a special strategic partnership grounded in the values of freedom and democracy, and a common vision for the future,” the two leaders wrote in an article published on Tuesday.
They said that New Delhi and Rome want to reach and exceed the Euro 20 billion target for trade between Italy and India by 2029, with a focus on defence and aerospace, clean technologies, machinery, automotive components, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, agri-food, tourism and more.
Both sides are also actively advancing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, a broad framework for cooperation across multiple areas.
PM Modi’s Italy Visit
PM Modi met Meloni over dinner shortly after arriving in Rome on Tuesday, on the last leg of his five-nation visit. They both then undertook a visit to the iconic Colosseum, where they engaged in deep conversation over a wide range of subjects.
In a post on X, PM Modi shared glimpses of his visit with Meloni and said, “Upon landing in Rome, had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Meloni over dinner, followed by a visit to the iconic Colosseum. We exchanged perspectives on a wide range of subjects. Looking forward to our talks today, where we will continue the conversation on how to boost the India-Italy friendship.”
This was the most visual leg of PM Modi’s five-nation tour, defining the evolving Delhi-Rome ties from a cordial friendship into a special strategic partnership. The pictures, posted by both PM Modi and Meloni, defined not just their easy camaraderie but also a reminder of improved ties.
PM Modi also expressed deep appreciation for Italian painter Giampaolo Tomassetti during his official visit to Rome, spotlighting an extraordinary artistic tribute that bridges the cultures of India and Italy.
Tomassetti presented PM Modi with a striking painting of Varanasi, an ancient and spiritually significant city also known as Kashi. Highlighting the artist’s lifelong dedication to Indian heritage, PM Modi lauded Tomassetti’s decades of work capturing the essence of Vedic culture and historic epics.
“A glimpse of Kashi in Rome! Giampaolo Tomassetti, an Italian painter, presented his work on Varanasi,” PM Modi shared in a post on X.
“His passion for Indian culture goes back over four decades. In the 1980s, he started as an illustrator for books on Vedic culture. From 2008 to 2013, he worked on 23 large paintings relating to the Mahabharat.”
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