India’s famous toffees are suddenly back in the spotlight after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal shared fresh export data linked to the renewed buzz around Melody candies. At the same time,
Air India joined the online conversation with a clever Rome-themed post that quickly grabbed attention on social media.
The discussion started after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted a video mentioning the “Melody” toffees gifted to her by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Her clip brought back the popular “Melodi” wordplay associated with the two leaders, and several brands and users quickly joined the trend online.
Piyush Goyal Shares Toffee Data
Amid the online chatter, Union Minister Piyush Goyal shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) highlighting the growth of India’s toffee exports over the last 12 years.
“India’s TOFFEE TALE would surely be melody to the ears! Exports have grown nearly 166 per cent since 2013-14,” he wrote.
According to the figures shared by him, India’s exports of toffees, caramels and similar sweets increased from Rs 49.68 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 132 crore in 2025-26. The image posted by Goyal showed a hand full of Indian candies and toffees, including popular brands like Melody, Mango Bite, Pulse and others.
The graphic highlighted the export growth with a bar chart showing the jump from Rs 49.68 crore to Rs 132 crore, alongside the caption: “Sweetness of ‘Made in India’ toffees wows the world.”
India’s TOFFEE TALE would surely be melody to the ears!
Exports have grown nearly 166% since 2013-14. 🍬 pic.twitter.com/EJle6m4BnT
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) May 20, 2026
His post quickly drew reactions online. A user wrote, “Always on work Piyush ji; right time to share this data.” Another commented, “Today, everyone remembered toffee, my great India.”
Soon after, Air India also joined the online conversation with a post connected to Rome and the “Melodi” trend. The airline shared an image of Rome’s famous skyline with St. Peter’s Basilica in the background.
The picture carried the words “ROME SWEET ROME” along with details of Air India’s direct Delhi-to-Rome flights operating four times a week.
In its caption, Air India wrote, “Some places don’t need introductions, just the right melody. #Melody”
The timing of the post immediately caught people’s attention online, with many linking it to the Modi-Meloni “Melodi” jokes that have circulated on social media for the past two years.
A person commented, “Indian Twitter seeing ‘Rome’ and instantly activating.” Another wrote, “Some destinations trend because of tourism. Some because of the internet.” A user also joked, “Rome suddenly having a massive fan following in India these days.”
How The ‘Melodi’ Trend Started
The renewed attention comes after Giorgia Meloni shared a video in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee, Melody.”
The “Melodi” trend first became popular during the COP28 summit in Dubai in 2023, when Meloni jokingly combined her name with Modi’s in a selfie video.
Since then, the phrase has repeatedly resurfaced online whenever the two leaders meet at international events.
Prime Minister Modi is currently visiting Italy at Meloni’s invitation to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in areas including trade, defence, clean energy and technology.
