Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first bilateral visit to Italy produced both a significant diplomatic outcome and the internet moment that was always going to overshadow it. Giorgia Meloni posted a video of Modi gifting her a packet of Melody toffee — the Indian candy — with the caption “Thank you for the gift,” and the clip went instantly viral, the latest chapter in a social media friendship that has been running since COP28 in 2023 under the hashtag #Melodi.

The viral moment

The Melody toffee gift — a quintessentially Indian candy handed by the Indian Prime Minister to the Italian Prime Minister in Rome — is the kind of detail the internet was made for. Meloni had already set social media alight on Tuesday when she shared a Colosseum selfie with Modi captioned “Welcome to Rome, my friend!” — a post that crossed 2 million views within hours. The Melody video added a second viral moment to a visit that has generated more social media traffic than most diplomatic summits manage in their entirety.

The #Melodi hashtag — a portmanteau of the two leaders’ surnames — has been running since 2023 when Meloni posted a COP28 selfie captioned “Good friends at COP28. #Melodi.” It went viral again at the G7 summit in 2024 when Meloni posted a video with Modi saying “Hi friends, from #Melodi.” Both leaders have acknowledged the memes in the past and treated them with humour.

What actually got agreed in Rome

Behind the social media pageantry, the diplomatic substance is significant. Modi and Meloni published a joint op-ed across international platforms titled “Italy and India: A Strategic Partnership for the Indo-Mediterranean,” describing bilateral ties as having entered a “decisive stage” — evolving from a cordial friendship into a partnership rooted in “the values of freedom and democracy, and a common vision for the future.”

The two leaders set a target of pushing bilateral trade above €20 billion by 2029, with focus sectors including defence, aerospace, green energy, machinery, pharmaceuticals, textiles and tourism. The meetings are expected to produce a joint declaration including annual summit-level meetings — a structural upgrade in the relationship’s architecture.

Energy featured strongly in the shared agenda, with cooperation planned in renewable power, green hydrogen, smart grids and sustainable infrastructure, alongside joint participation in the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and Global Biofuels Alliance.

The IMEC angle

Both leaders expressed strong backing for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, describing IMEC as a plan to connect transport routes, digital systems, energy networks and supply chains from Asia to Europe through the Middle East — framing it as part of a wider “Indo-Mediterranean” vision in which India and Italy are positioned as key anchor partners. The corridor gains added strategic weight in the current environment, with the Iran war disrupting traditional shipping routes and making alternative connectivity infrastructure more urgent for both countries.

Modi described the Rome engagement in detail, writing that upon landing he had the opportunity to meet Meloni over dinner followed by a visit to the Colosseum, where they exchanged perspectives on a wide range of subjects. Wednesday’s formal talks were held at the historic 17th-century Villa Doria Pamphili.

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