New Delhi:
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) gathered in France’s Evian-les-Bains on Tuesday to discuss key global challenges, reaffirm their support for Ukraine, and welcome the breakthrough deal between the US and Iran. Amid this, a brief interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, has caught all the attention on social media, with the ‘Melodi’ buzz making a return.
A viral video shows PM Modi and Meloni greeting each other and shaking hands moments before lining up for a group photo with other leaders, including US President Donald Trump. While the audio isn’t very clear, PM Modi appeared to refer to their popularity on social media to Meloni.
To this, the Italian Prime Minister said, “Yes, we are the most famous couple on Instagram”.
Modiji and meloni 😍 pic.twitter.com/6iWmtkCIUN
— Jash (@jeetcasm) June 16, 2026
This came nearly a month after PM Modi, during his trip to Rome, gifted Meloni a packet of Parle’s Melody toffee – in reference to the viral ‘Melodi’ term. Sharing the video of PM Modi’s ‘sweet’ gesture on her social media accounts, Meloni wrote, “Thank you for the gift”.
The post featured both PM Modi and Meloni holding a packet of the popular Indian candy, 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,” then said PM Modi.
Thank you for the gift pic.twitter.com/7ePxbJwPbA
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) May 20, 2026
The ‘Melodi’ diplomacy
‘Melodi’ – a blend of Meloni and PM Modi’s names – began as an internet joke after their bilateral meeting in 2023. The term, often used in many viral clips and memes depicting warm, unscripted moments between the two leaders at multilateral summits, has racked up millions of views.
Meloni had used the term in a post first in 2024, along with a selfie with PM Modi. “Hi friends, from #Melodi,” she had posted on X. In June 2025, she posted a selfie video with PM Modi from their G7 Summit interactions and captioned it as: “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.
However, the PM Modi-Meloni bond is not a mere photo opportunity; it is a foreign policy in motion. Italy has emerged as India’s most consequential global partner, with both nations working towards the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) that anchors Rome as Europe’s gateway to the Indo-Pacific.
Bilateral trade between the two nations has crossed $16.77 billion.
Last month, PM Modi met Meloni over dinner during the last leg of his five-nation visit. They visited the iconic Colosseum, where the two leaders engaged in deep conversation over a wide range of subjects.
