India’s toffee exports have seen a sharp rise over the last 12 years, and the numbers were highlighted by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal shortly after a viral moment involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni brought the popular ‘Melody’ toffee into the spotlight again.
India's TOFFEE TALE would surely be melody to the ears!
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) May 20, 2026
Exports have grown nearly 166% since 2013-14. 🍬 pic.twitter.com/EJle6m4BnT
India’s exports of toffees, caramels and similar sweets increased by around 166 %, rising from ₹49.68 crore in 2013-14 to ₹132 crore in 2025-26. Sharing the figures on social media, Goyal said India’s “toffee tale” has become a success story, adding that exports have grown strongly over the years.
Viral Modi-Meloni moment brings ‘Melody’ back into discussion
The export figures gained attention after a video shared by Meloni went viral on social media. In the clip, the Italian Prime Minister thanked PM Modi for gifting her ‘Melody’ toffees. “Thank you for the gift”, PM Meloni posted on X. In the video, PM Modi and PM Meloni are standing together, with PM Modi giving her the packet of Melody toffees. “PM Modi has brought us a gift of very, very good toffee,” Meloni says while they both laugh.
People think this was “just a toffee moment.” 🇮🇳🍬
— Himanshu Jain (@HemanNamo) May 20, 2026
What they missed:
PM Modi casually put an Indian consumer brand in front of millions globally — zero ads, zero campaigns, zero corporate budget.
That’s not just distribution.
That’s modern soft power.
That’s branding in the… pic.twitter.com/GHDJVG1bIf
The moment quickly caught attention online because of the already popular “Melodi” trend, a social media nickname created by combining the names of Modi and Meloni.
How the “Melodi” trend started
The hashtag “Melodi” first gained popularity during the COP28 summit in Dubai in 2023. The phrase, blending Modi and Meloni’s names, was coined by the Italian leader and later became widely used on social media as photos and videos of the two leaders at international events went viral.
PM Modi is currently visiting Italy at Meloni’s invitation, with discussions expected around areas including trade, defence cooperation, clean energy and technology partnerships.
Amid the viral “Melodi” moment, Goyal used the opportunity to highlight India’s growing presence in the global confectionery market, pointing to the steady rise in toffee exports over the past decade.
