Rome: Prime Minister Narendra Modi capped the final stop of his five-nation tour in Rome on Tuesday with a friendly dinner and a stroll through the Colosseum alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — and a small, sweet gift that swiftly became internet fuel.
Modi gave Meloni a box of “Melody” toffees — a light, friendly gesture that quickly exploded into memes. Meloni thanked him on X as they shared a laugh, and netizens began using “Melody” to signal the pair’s easy rapport. One user quipped, “Modi ji rizz is crazyyyy, Better than minee.”
Someone else replied, “You’re getting too sharp.”
Not everyone found it charming, though. Some critics wrote off the gift as a showy stunt and questioned whether such light-heartedness was appropriate during economic hardship, as reported by DNA.
“Ask yourself honestly, do you really think any sensible or past PM would have done such drama on international visits while the nation is going through an economic crisis?” one social media user wrote.
Another complained, “He goes abroad just for all this on government expenses — what’s the point of import-export? Does it matter if the country sinks to the depths? The ascetic will come and tell you at 8 o’clock: sacrifice in times of crisis.”
Beyond the memes and mockery, the meeting focused on substance. Meloni welcomed Modi to Rome for the concluding leg of his tour; the two leaders dined together and toured the ancient amphitheatre while discussing ways to deepen India–Italy ties across several fronts.
Modi posted on X about their talks; Meloni shared Colosseum photos, writing, “Welcome to Rome, my friend!”
Modi also met painter Giampaolo Tomassetti, who gifted him a Varanasi painting. Modi praised Tomassetti’s four-decade interest in Indian culture, noting his Vedic-themed work and 23 large Mahabharat paintings from 2008 to 2013.
The visit reinforced a Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025–2029 on trade, investment, defence, clean energy, science and people-to-people links. Trade between the two countries reached $16.77 billion in 2025, and Italian FDI into India totaled $3.66 billion from April 2000 to September 2025.
