Melody hai diplomacy: The story of memes, hashtags and the Modi-Meloni friendship

The ‘Melodi’ diplomacy is on. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Italy for the final leg of his five-nation tour. Shortly after he landed in Rome on Tuesday (May 19), he was welcomed by his “friend” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Sharing a selfie with the Indian leader from the Colosseum on X, she wrote, "Welcome to Rome, my friend!" The post has gone viral with 3.2 million (32 lakh) views and more than 1.6 lakh likes as of Wednesday morning.

The meeting between Modi and Meloni often generates buzz on social media. Catching on to the ‘Melodi’ trend, the two leaders also ensure to post their selfies online, which often go viral.

Let’s take a closer look.

The Colosseum & Melody

The photos from PM Modi and his Italian counterpart Meloni’s visit to the iconic Colosseum, a massive stone oval in the centre of Rome, have now taken over the internet.

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Modi's 'car diplomacy' was also seen as he shared a picture with Meloni seated in a car together.

Taking to X, the Indian leader posted a few glimpses. “Upon landing in Rome, had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Meloni over dinner followed by a visit to the iconic Colosseum,” Modi wrote.

“We exchanged perspectives on a wide range of subjects. Looking forward to our talks today, where we will continue the conversation on how to boost the India-Italy friendship,” he added.

The two leaders are slated to hold bilateral talks later on Wednesday. PM Modi will also meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and take part in other diplomatic engagements before departing for India.

In a nod to ‘Melodi’, a portmanteau of the surnames of the two leaders made viral by memers, Modi gifted a pack of Parle Melody Toffee to Meloni. The Italian PM shared a video on Instagram of the Indian leader holding the packet as the two giggled at the inside joke.

All viral ‘Melodi’ moments

PM Modi and Meloni's pictures often become the talk of the town. Their camaraderie is visible whenever the two leaders meet.

Modi had last travelled to Italy for the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in June 2024.

During the visit, Meloni shared a selfie and a video of herself with Modi, both breaking the internet.

In the video, the two leaders were seen waving at the camera with Meloni saying, "Hello from the Melodi team".

"Hi friends, from #Melodi," she posted on X.

The video showed the two leaders smiling with glee after their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy’s Apulia.

Replying to her post, PM Modi wrote on X, "Long live India-Italy friendship!"

In 2023, a selfie of the two leaders on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai had gone viral.

"Good friends at COP28. #Melodi," Meloni had captioned the image.

PM Modi had responded with “Meeting friends is always a delight” to his Italian counterpart's post.

The hashtag Melodi became a top trend on the social media platform. Several netizens shared memes about the two leaders using the hashtag.

“It’s really good to see the light mood of World Leaders,” an X user commented on Meloni’s post.

“The meme community claims the decisive victory,” chimed another.

“You can’t imagine the happiness on the face of meme creators in India After this pic. They were eagerly waiting for this,” wrote a third.

Modi-Meloni’s friendship

PM Meloni and Modi's rapport has been visible at major global events. In September 2023, their interaction at the G20 Summit in New Delhi triggered a flood of memes on Indian social media.

During her visit, Modi gifted Meloni a Patan Patola scarf, which is woven by the Salvi family in northern Gujarat’s Patan area.

Even before PM Modi met the Italian leader in 2024 for the G7 Summit in Apulia, the gathering had set a buzz on the internet as Meloni was spotted welcoming several delegates and heads of government with a ‘namaste’.

The gesture was perceived as a nod to her Indian ‘friend’.

Modi and Meloni often refer to each other as ‘good friends’. Notably, Meloni was the first European leader to congratulate the Indian leader on his re-election for a third consecutive term.

A boost to India-Italy ties

While selfies and wishes on social media reflect PM Modi and Meloni's cordial ties, the two leaders have also enhanced India and Italy's relations.

During Modi's ongoing visit to Rome, the two countries seek to bolster diplomatic and trade ties by elevating their relationship to that of a special strategic partnership, an Italian government official told Reuters.

This is PM Modi's first bilateral trip to Italy. "This visit will focus on how to boost India-Italy cooperation, especially focusing on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)," Modi wrote on X after landing in Rome.

The relations between the two countries have improved in recent years. Italy has become India's fourth-largest trading partner in the European Union (EU) after Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Bilateral trade in 2023-24 reached $14.56 billion, as per the Italian embassy in New Delhi.

PM Meloni’s first state visit to India was in March 2023, when she was the chief guest at the Raisina Dialogue. During her visit, India and Italy had elevated their ties to a strategic partnership.

With inputs from agencies