PM Modi Italy Visit Highlights: PM Modi wraps up five-nation tour, departs for India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has departed for India from Rome, Italy, marking the conclusion of his five-nation visit. The tour included engagements aimed at strengthening India’s diplomatic and strategic partnerships across multiple countries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday was conferred the FAO Agricola Medal by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations during his visit to Rome, Italy.

The honour was awarded in recognition of his contributions to sustainable agriculture, food security and rural development. The FAO highlighted efforts aimed at strengthening global food systems and supporting farmers’ welfare.

During his visit, Modi also held bilateral talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and participated in a series of diplomatic engagements focused on strengthening India-Italy relations.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gesture of gifting the iconic Indian “Melody” toffee to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, calling it a moment that blended “sweetness of Bharat” with the warmth of diplomacy.

In a post on X, Rijiju described the exchange as a memorable instance of friendship and light-hearted engagement between the two leaders, saying the simple gesture reflected the growing personal rapport and goodwill in India-Italy relations.

A selfie at Rome’s Colosseum and a packet of “Melody” toffees set off a social media frenzy on Wednesday as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of bilateral talks in Italy.

Modi, who arrived in Rome late Tuesday, visited the iconic Colosseum with Meloni and gifted her a packet of Melody toffees during their interaction. A video later shared by Meloni on social media showed the two leaders laughing together as she thanked Modi for the gift, captioning the clip: “Thank you for the gift.”

The video quickly went viral, garnering more than 110 million views within hours and prompting a wave of memes and reactions online. The Bharatiya Janata Party reshared the clip, calling it an example of PM Modi’s “sense of humour.”

The chemistry between the two leaders has frequently drawn attention since the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, where social media users coined the nickname “Melodi” by blending their surnames. During a joint media interaction later, Meloni described her ties with Modi as a friendship built on “mutual respect and trust.”

Brands join online trend

Several brands also joined the online buzz surrounding the viral moment. Quick-commerce platform Blinkit said it witnessed a spike in searches for “Melody,” the toffee brand manufactured by Parle Products. Meanwhile, Air India shared a Rome-themed social media post referencing the toffee exchange.

Interestingly, shares of Parle Industries rose 5 per cent after the video circulated widely, reportedly due to confusion among some investors over its name similarity with the confectionery maker.

The viral exchange also triggered political reactions. Rahul Gandhi criticised Modi’s gesture, arguing that it came at a time when India was facing economic pressures linked to the Iran conflict and rising fuel prices.

On Wednesday morning, Modi and Meloni met again at the historic Villa Doria Pamphili in Rome for formal talks. Following the meeting, the two leaders were expected to plant a black mulberry tree in the villa gardens as a symbolic gesture of friendship between India and Italy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India and Italy are working towards a new model of global cooperation centred on joint innovation and production as the two countries seek to expand economic and strategic engagement.

Speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a joint press interaction in Rome, Modi said bilateral relations are entering a new phase of structured collaboration under the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029.

He described the action plan as a practical and future-oriented roadmap that would guide cooperation between the two nations in a time-bound manner across key sectors. Modi is currently in Italy as part of the final leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour.

Narendra Modi on Wednesday reiterated India’s position that ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

India and Italy on Tuesday agreed to upgrade their bilateral relationship to a special strategic partnership following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, emerging technologies and connectivity initiatives.

Addressing a joint press statement after the talks, Modi said both leaders held extensive discussions on strengthening ties between the two countries across multiple sectors. He also highlighted the importance of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and said the two sides reviewed the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029 aimed at deepening long-term cooperation.

Before meeting Meloni, Modi called on Italian President Sergio Mattarella and discussed areas including trade, investment, cultural exchanges, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, space and nuclear energy collaboration.

Meloni had hosted Modi for dinner shortly after his arrival in Rome on Tuesday night, and the two leaders also visited the historic Colosseum ahead of their formal bilateral engagement. Modi’s Italy visit marks the final leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour, which earlier included visits to Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.

Economic engagement between India and Italy has grown steadily in recent years, with bilateral trade reaching Euro 14.25 billion in 2025. India exported goods worth Euro 8.55 billion to Italy, while Italian exports to India stood at Euro 5.70 billion. Both countries have set a target of achieving Euro 20 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2029.

Italy is currently India’s fourth-largest trading partner within the European Union. The Indian community in Italy, estimated at over 1.86 lakh people, is also the largest Indian diaspora group in the EU, while more than 5,100 Indian students are pursuing higher education in Italian universities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029 has provided bilateral relations with a practical and future-oriented framework.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held delegation-level discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome during the final leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour. The meeting focused on further strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between India and Italy across key sectors.

Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday after concluding visits to Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates as part of his multi-country outreach.

Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday said India-Italy relations have entered a “decisive phase” as she welcomed Narendra Modi during his visit to Rome. Sharing a video clip on X, Meloni said bilateral ties between the two countries have grown rapidly in recent years, transforming from a friendly relationship into a special strategic partnership built on shared democratic values, freedom and a common vision for the future.

Narendra Modi said he held discussions with Sergio Mattarella in Rome on strengthening India-Italy relations across sectors including trade, investment and cultural cooperation. The two leaders also explored opportunities for collaboration in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, critical minerals, space technology and nuclear energy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level discussions with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome during the final leg of his five-nation tour, a day after meeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for dinner and visiting the Colosseum. The talks focused on strengthening India-Italy ties under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029 covering trade, investment, defence, clean energy and technology cooperation.

endWith “Melody” trending ever since PM Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni’s “gift” video went viral, Parle Vice President Mayank Sharma has now reacted to the brand’s popular toffee gaining global attention.

In an interview with Times Now, Shah said Meloni using “Melody” in one of her old tweets generated a lot of buzz in the past as well. However, today, as PM Modi “gifted” the brand’s toffees to Meloni, it helped put the “brand in a different league.”

He further noted that while “Melody” had long been doing rounds on the internet, today it is essentially ended up “breaking” it.

Rahul Gandhi accused the Indian government of being insensitively detached from the current harsh and lived realities of everyday Indians. Taking a dig at PM Modi’s Italy trip, he said, ” An economic storm is brewing over our heads, and our Prime Minister is distributing toffees in Italy. Farmers, youth, women, laborers, and small traders are all weeping–the PM is smiling and making Reels, while BJP members are clapping. This is not leadership; this is a theatrical gimmick.”

His remarks were in response to PM Modi gifting the Melody chocolate toffees to Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, as seen in a viral video she shared on X.

In addition sharing an op-ed byline with Italian PM Giorgia Melonia amid his ongoing 5-nation tour, PM Modi also wrote a piece with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson.

Therein, they “reflected on how India and Sweden are shaping a new era of cooperation. From green transition to supply chains, the India-Sweden partnership is guided by innovation, sustainability and shared prosperity for the people of our nations,” PM Modi shared on X.

Videos circulating online shared a glimpse of PM Modi’s delegation-level talks with President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella.

PM Modi announced via X that he had penned an op-ed with PM Meloni on “how India-Italy ties have reached a decisive stage. Ours is a Special Strategic Partnership driven by innovation, shared democratic values and a common vision for the future.”

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called on PM Modi to visit the country, saying that such high-level trips focused on deepening bilateral ties would be “very happy.”

“India is a very important partner for Estonia. Our scales are totally different, from 1.3 million people (Estonian population) to 1.4 billion (Indian population). India is also the largest democracy in the world. Our president (Alar Karis) was in India in February for the AI summit. Our bilateral relations are increasing in business terms,” the Estonian Foreign Minister said, as quoted by PTI.

Taking a swipe at PM Modi’s guidance to refrain from travelling abroad and buying gold amid rising inflation, Rahul Gandhi took a firm stance against the Indian prime minister amid his ongoing five-nation tour.

At a public event in Raebareli, UP, the Congress MP said, “PM Narendra Modi says don’t go abroad, don’t buy gold, buy electric vehicles. In the coming times, farmers won’t have fertiliser. Watch where inflation goes in a few months, where the prices of petrol, diesel, oil, gas, pulses, and rice go. The Prime Minister openly says don’t buy gold, don’t go abroad, and he himself goes abroad in planes worth thousands of crores of rupees.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s official X account shared a video of “Hindi echoing in the streets of Rome” amid PM Modi’s visit to Italy for bilateral talks with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal shared the link to the Indian Express article co-authored by Indian PM Narendra Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. Goyal noted both leaders “jointly underscore that innovation, energy transitions, and strategic sovereignty will define prosperity in the 21st century, a shared vision that continues to deepen and strengthen the India-Italy partnership.”

Priyank Kharge, the Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj of Karnataka, slammed PM Modi’s 5-nation tour. Speaking to ANI while Modi had reached Italy, Kharge said, “The Prime Minister has spent close to Rs 850 crores for his foreign visits. How has it helped the country?… Foreign investors have been strategically pulling out their investments from India. No country is friendly to you.”

“When a terrorist state like Pakistan attacks you, not one single country stands with you. You’re going abroad to fix deals for Adani and not to fix the nation’s interest… You’re not able to answer one simple question from the press. You’re embarrassing the nation by just walking away when somebody wants to ask you a question. Neither you answer questions here nor abroad, and you claim to be Vishwa Guru, you claim that every foreign Prime Minister and President is your friend, but how has it actually benefited India? I request the Prime Minister, please release a white paper of your “Achche Din”, please release a white paper of Make in India, please release a white paper of Amrit Kaal, please release a white paper of Viksit Bharat for the people to know…”

PM Modi spoke highly of Indian classical dance forms gaining global interest during his Rome visit. A video shared on his official X account captured him watching “five Italians passionate about Indian dance” present a performance ahead of his bilateral talks with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.

“Svamini Atmananda Giri, Ms. Martina Meenakshi Argada, Ms. Lucrezia Maniscotti, Ms. Valeria Vespaziani, Ms. Rosella Fanelli performed ‘Trigalbandi’, which included Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Kathak,” said a post on his X profile.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni took to her X profile to thank PM Modi for a “gift” he brought along with him for the Italy trip. Both leaders were seen laughing, as they showed the ‘Melody’ chocolate candy to the camera, a reference to “Melodi,” the viral portmanteau the internet uses to talk about Meloni and Modi.

Speaking to ANI on India-Italy cultural ties and shared vision, BJD MP Dr Sasmit Patra said, “Both the premiers of India and Italy signing and writing a common statement relating to the shared values and the culture between India and Italy is a welcome step. India and Italy have a lot in common in terms of our shared values and our intent for the good of our people. And this cooperation between India and Italy will go a long way in terms of strengthening further cooperation on many strategic areas of common interest.”

While PM Modi was away for his Italy trip, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh vowed to boost military-to-military ties and defence industry cooperation with South Korea in Seoul. Singh and South Korean Minister of National Defence Ahn Gyu-back held high-level bilateral talks on the heels of a successful state visit to India by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung last month.

“Our Special Strategic Partnership has made significant progress in recent years,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said during his opening remarks. “This meeting, coming within a month of the Presidential visit, reflects the growing strength of our Special Strategic Partnership. I am confident that our relations are fully poised to reach new heights.”

“The two countries have elevated our relationship into a special strategic partnership since 2015, comprehensively cooperating in developing various fields,” Ahn said, adding that the newly agreed-upon foreign and defence ministerial dialogues would further solidify strategic communication.

Members of the Indian diaspora, including artists, welcomes PM Modi to Italy, presenting cultural performance at his hotel. The Indian leader also signed an autograph for a child who greeted him with a portrait.

An artist who performed for Modi, told ANI, “I have stayed in India for 15 years…I am feeling very good after performing to welcome PM Modi.”

Another artist said, “We played the traditional tune based on Raga Hamsadhwani and we made a composition together with all the musicians, creating this piece together for the Prime Minister of India. I feel full of energy and motivated to spread more of the Indian values and the Indian arts in Italy and all over Europe.”

Italian painter Giampaolo Tomassetti, who presented his art piece depicting a glimpse of Kashi during PM Modi’s Italy visit, called his meeting with the Indian leader “one of the best experiences” of his life.

He told ANI, “He (PM Modi) was very kind, he shook my hand and asked how long it took me to create this painting. For me, this painting is a bridge between the eyes of an Italian artist and the colourful culture of India. This is the holy town of Varanasi. I love India, and my art is greatly influenced by Indian culture.”

After visiting the Colosseum with PM Meloni, PM Narendra Modi shared a series of posts, depicting the heartwarming exchanges between India and Italy amid his ongoing trip.

“Indian music is getting very popular in Italy. During the community welcome in Rome last evening, five Italian artistes performed the Hamsadhwani. Compliments to Mr. Valerio Bruni (Santoor), Mr. Leo Vertunni (Sitar), Mr. Simone Mattiello (Bansuri), Mr. Francesco Gherardi (Tabla) and Mr. Nicolo Mellochi (Bansuri),” he shared on X.

PM Modi tweeted about Mr. Giampaolo Tomassetti, an Italian painter’s work on Varanasi on X. Alongside a picture of himself viewing the art piece, he wrote, “His passion for Indian culture goes back over four decades. In the 1980’s he started as an illustrator for books on Vedic culture. From 2008 to 2013 he worked on 23 large paintings relating to the Mahabharat.”