As leaders lined up for the group photograph, Modi and Meloni exchanged greetings. A video of the moment went viral. Modi appeared to reference their social media popularity. Meloni responded: “Yes, we are the most famous couple on Instagram.”
Meloni: Good to see you again.
Modi: Hahaha. You see Instagram?
Meloni: We are very famous on Instagram
Blud is talking about reels at the G7 summit.
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— Mohit Chauhan (@mohitlaws) June 16, 2026
The remark fed into the “Melodi” trend — a portmanteau of the two leaders’ surnames. The term originated as an internet joke after their bilateral meeting in 2023.
It gained traction after Meloni posted a selfie with Modi at COP28 in Dubai that year, captioning it: “Good friends at COP28 #Melodi.” The post triggered memes and fan edits across platforms. Since then, the hashtag has resurfaced at nearly every meeting between the two leaders.
Meloni herself used it in a post in 2024, and again in June 2025, when she captioned a selfie video from their G7 interactions: “Hello, from the Melodi team.”
The trend gained fresh attention last month when Modi visited Rome and presented Meloni with a packet of Parle’s Melody toffees — a reference to the “Melodi” label. In a video from the meeting, Meloni said, “Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift…very, very good toffee.”
Both leaders laughed. The video crossed 100 million views within six hours and accumulated over 13 million likes. During the same visit, the two leaders also toured the Colosseum.
At the G7, Meloni was also heard greeting Modi with, “Nice to meet you again.”
The two leaders’ relationship extends beyond social media. Bilateral trade between India and Italy has crossed $16.77 billion. Both countries are also working on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which positions Rome as a gateway between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
