What Does Modi-Meloni’s ‘Melodi’ Frenzy Have To Do With Earring Sales In Bengaluru?

In a butterfly effect of sorts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni’s viral ‘Melodi’ moment last month has ended up boosting the sales of a Bengaluru startup that manufactures acrylic jewellery. But what does PM Modi gifting a box of Melody toffees to Meloni have to do with a jewellery startup?

Well, the startup in question, Rainbow Hues, specialises in creating wearable accessories inspired by iconic Indian treats from the 1990s and early 2000s. Its catalogue includes earrings modelled after Melody toffees, Kismi bars, Hajmola tablets and Kaccha Mango Bite candies. While the concept taps into nostalgia for millennials who grew up with these snacks, one product in particular has found itself riding a fresh

wave of internet fame.

According to a report in Deccan Herald, Rainbow Hues recorded a 40% jump in sales after Meloni posted a video on May 20 showing PM Modi gifting her a packet of Melody toffees. The report quoted founder Rebecca Mendonza as saying that the startup’s Melody earrings sold out within 24 hours of the video going online, and replenishing inventory took nearly a week.

“We are currently restocking them for the third time,” she was quoted as saying.

The video revived social media’s long-running fascination with the term ‘Melodi’ — a fusing of Modi and Meloni’s surnames that emerged online during their interactions at international summits in 2023 and later became a recurring meme whenever the two leaders met. The nickname gained widespread attention after Meloni posted a selfie with Modi from the COP28 summit in Dubai, accompanied by the hashtag #Melodi.

The latest video proved just as popular. Within a few hours of being posted, it had amassed well over 100 million views across Meloni’s social media platforms and generated thousands of shares and reactions.

The buzz quickly spilled over into the business world. Quick-commerce platform Blinkit said it witnessed a surge in searches for Melody toffees, made by Parle Products. The company is best known for brands such as Parle-G, Monaco, KrackJack, Hide & Seek, Mango Bite and Kaccha Mango Bite.

The ripple effects did not stop there. Shares of the unrelated Parle Industries rose 5% after the video went viral, with reports suggesting some investors may have confused it with the confectionery maker.

The Story Behind The ‘Melodi’ Obsession

The ‘Melodi’ phenomenon began during the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023, when social media users started combining the surnames of Modi and Meloni after noticing their frequent interactions at global events.

The trend exploded a few months later during the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, where Meloni shared a selfie with the Indian PM using the hashtag #Melodi. The post triggered a flood of memes, jokes and fan edits across social media platforms.

Since then, almost every public interaction between the two leaders — from summit meetings to informal photo opportunities — has reignited the trend. The nickname has evolved into a recurring internet meme and a shorthand used by social media users whenever Modi and Meloni are seen together.

Their latest exchange involving a packet of Melody toffees effectively turned the long-running joke into a real-world reference, sending the internet into another frenzy and unexpectedly benefiting everyone from confectionery brands to jewellery makers.