'Melodi' strikes again: PM Modi, Meloni joke about being ‘Instagram famous’ at G7 | Watch

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shared a light-hearted exchange about their social media popularity on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.

The exchange took place on Tuesday as world leaders gathered for the traditional family photograph at the summit in the French resort town of Evian-les-Bains. Greeting PM Modi with a smile and handshake, Meloni was heard on a hot mic saying, "Nice to see you again."

The conversation quickly turned to the duo's online fame. As PM Modi jokingly referred to their enormous social media following, Meloni laughed and replied: "Yeah, we are the most famous on Instagram!"

The remark was a reference to the now-famous "Melodi" phenomenon, a viral internet nickname combining the surnames of Meloni and Modi.

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The joke had started even before the G7 summit. During PM Modi's visit to Rome, he gifted Meloni a packet of Melody toffees, a nod to the viral "Melodi" nickname. Meloni later posted a video of the exchange on Instagram, and the clip quickly became a hit online.

"Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift... a very, very good toffee," she wrote alongside the video, which quickly became a global viral hit and crossed the 10-million-like mark on Instagram.

What began as a social media moment during the 2023 COP28 summit in Dubai has since evolved into one of the internet's most recognisable diplomatic friendships. The trend first took off after Meloni posted a selfie with Modi captioned, "Good friends at COP28 #Melodi."

Since then, the two leaders have repeatedly leaned into the viral nickname, with their interactions generating millions of views and widespread engagement across social media platforms.

Behind the smiles, serious diplomacy

Despite the memes and light-hearted online content, the relationship between India and Italy has also deepened significantly in recent years. The two countries have elevated ties to a Special Strategic Partnership and continue to expand cooperation in areas including defence manufacturing, trade, technology and supply-chain resilience.

The leaders also held bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, focusing on strengthening economic and strategic cooperation.