Among world leaders assembled for the G7 summit in France’s Evian-les-Baines, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shared a light-hearted moment with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on the sidelines. The two reportedly shared a joke about their viral ‘Melody’ moment from PM Modi’s visit to Italy in May this year.
The viral hot mic moment at the G7 Summit recorded Meloni telling Modi, “We are the most famous couple on Instagram…,” while greeting him. The pair has consistently shared a strong camaraderie, which is also visible in their official visits.
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The ‘Melody’ moment
The Instagram comment seemed to be pointed at a now-viral moment from a five-nation tour undertaken by Modi in May. PM Modi took a packet of ‘Melody chocolate’ from India and gifted it to Meloni. The pair posted a video recording of this moment on Instagram, a post which has now grown to collect 13 million likes.
“Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift. A very, very good toffee,” Meloni says before displaying the candy packet and sharing a hearty laugh.
The term ‘Melodi’, homophonic to ‘Melody’, was coined by the internet to capture the bond the two leaders and their respective countries share.
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PM Modi’s five-nation tour previously took him to the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, with Italy being the final stop.
A strong India-Italy bond
Beyond candy and jokes, the repeated interactions between the two leaders are symbolic of the strong relationship and cooperation India and Italy share. The visit came in the midst of the two countries deepening their ties under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, which focuses on cooperation in trade, investment, defence, clean energy, innovation, science and technology, and cultural exchanges.
Bilateral trade between India and Italy reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025, while cumulative Italian foreign direct investment in India stood at USD 3.66 billion between April 2000 and September 2025.
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The G7 leaders have collectively declared intensified joint action against global drug trafficking networks, money laundering operations and transnational organised crime, revealing a series of measures aimed at strengthening maritime security, disrupting criminal finances and preventing the infiltration of public and private institutions by criminal groups.
