Beyond the Melody mania: The sweet truth of India’s 166% toffee export surge

Melody toffees have been in the news lately.

This comes after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifting her a packet of Melody toffees during his visit to Rome. The clip, posted on social media with the caption “thank you for the gift”, created quite a stir and has been viewed millions of times.

In it, Meloni is heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift a very, very good toffee,” to which Modi responded, “Melody.” The clip also left investors scrambling to buy Parle Industries, a stock that is the namesake of Parle Products, which actually makes Melody toffees.

But did you know that Indian toffee exports have been surging? And it’s not just Melody either.

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"India's TOFFEE TALE would surely be melody to the ears! Exports have grown nearly 166% since 2013-14," Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal wrote in a post on social media.

Let’s take a closer look:

India's confectionary imports surge

As per The Tribune India, exports of India’s toffees and other confectionery products have surged 166 per cent from 2013-2014 to 2025-2026. This includes products such as Melody as well as Eclairs. The outlet quoted data from the Union Commerce Ministry showing that India, in 2013-2024, exported toffees and confectionery to around 50 countries.

New Delhi earned Rs 49.7 crore from exporting its toffees. Sources told the outlet that while volumes stood at 6,652 metric tonnes, this was largely driven by a few markets such as Cameroon and Gambia, which purchased in bulk. These two nations alone comprised over 50 per cent of all shipments.

However, today, India exports to 74 countries at a total value of Rs 132 crore. This is an increase of 166 per cent in rupee terms. As per Mint, in dollar terms, exports rose from $8.17 million (Rs 78.56 crore) to $13.41 million (Rs 128.96 crore) during the same period, a 64 per cent increase.

As per Mint, export volumes today stand at 7,357 metric tonnes, a growth of 10.6 per cent. Meanwhile, tonnage has grown around 2.5 times across markets. Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Italy, the UK, Oman, Iraq, Spain, Morocco, Kuwait and the USA are now buying a meaningful amount of Indian toffees. All of these markets purchased little to no toffees in 2013-2014. Europe and the Gulf have also emerged as notable buyers.

Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal.

As per Moneycontrol, India’s confectionery exports to Italy have grown in recent years. In FY18-19, India exported just $0.01 million (Rs 0.10 crore) worth of confectionery to Italy. This increased to $1.57 million (Rs 15.10 crore) in FY21 and peaked at $2.44 million (Rs 23.47 crore) in FY23. The number has since declined to $0.57 million (Rs 5.48 crore) in FY26.

Meanwhile, West Asia remains the strongest market for India’s confectionery exports. Saudi Arabia, in the 2026 financial year, has emerged as the biggest buyer of Indian toffees at $2.88 million (Rs 27.69 crore). This number stood at $1.36 million (Rs 13.08 crore) the previous year. Indian confectionery exports to the United Arab Emirates hit $1.39 million (Rs 13.37 crore) in the 2026 financial year, while shipments to Kuwait rose to $0.5 million (Rs 4.81 crore).

African markets have also contributed. Exports to Benin, which were at $0.41 million (Rs 3.94 crore) a year earlier, nearly quadrupled to $1.53 million (Rs 14.71 crore) in FY26. Benin is now India’s second-biggest importer of toffees. Officials say India’s confectionery industry has significant potential. "The foundation is strong — and the potential for further growth remains significant," officials told The Tribune.

#Melodi goes viral

The hashtag “Melodi”, a blend of Modi and Meloni’s names, was coined by the Italian Prime Minister during COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and later went viral on social media following the warm interactions between the two leaders at global events.

“Good friends at COP28,” Meloni had posted on social media with the hashtag “Melodi”, captioning a photograph with the Indian leader. Modi, who arrived in Rome on Tuesday, is on the final leg of his five-nation tour to the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy from May 15-20.

The hashtag “Melodi”, a blend of Modi and Meloni’s names, was coined by the Italian Prime Minister during COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and later went viral on social media.

He is visiting Italy at the invitation of Meloni to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, defence, clean energy and technology. The two leaders have maintained close engagement in recent years, with Meloni also visiting India for the G20 Summit in 2023.

The joint declaration between India and Italy stated: “Building on the opportunities arising from India’s rapid and consistent economic growth and the successful conclusion of negotiations for the EU–India Free Trade Agreement, they reaffirmed the shared objective of expanding bilateral trade in both directions, with an aim to reach €20 billion by 2029.”

“They welcomed the increase in bilateral investments in key sectors and encouraged industries to forge industrial and technology partnerships in order to build resilient supply chains. They welcomed the prospect of greater investments, particularly in textiles, clean technologies, semiconductors, automotive, energy, tourism, pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, digital technologies, critical raw materials, steel, ports and infrastructure. They encouraged industries to utilise policy incentives and schemes in place in both countries that seek to enhance business linkages and production facilities,” the declaration added.

FAQs

1. Why are Indian toffee exports increasing?

Exports have grown due to expanding global demand, diversification of markets, and stronger trade ties with regions like West Asia, Europe and Africa.

2. Which countries import the most Indian toffees?

Saudi Arabia, Benin, the UAE, Kuwait and several European nations are among the top importers.

3. What role did the Modi-Meloni interaction play?

The viral “Melodi” moment has boosted visibility for Indian toffees like Melody,

With inputs from agencies