When Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried a bag of toffees for his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, he knew the gesture would grab headlines. Dubbed as the story of the three M’s—Meloni, Melody and Modi—the Parle toffee bag broke the internet. People back home rushed to the nearest store to grab the toffees which, till Modi handpicked them, were like any other Indian candy. It was the two prime ministers who together made them special and, of course, famous.
For the record, during his recent visit to Italy, the prime minister gifted a bag of Melody toffees to the Italian prime minister, who then shared a video on the fun play of the two surnames: Modi and Meloni.
Meanwhile, Parle Products is basking in the glory, with Melody sales reportedly shooting up. In a recent event hosted by the Italian Embassy in India, the goodies bag that guests carried back home contained a pack of Melody toffees. So, think of toffees and it can be none other than Melody here in India, even as the company claims that the toffee is exported to over 100 countries.
Toffees apart, Modi has turned around the definition of diplomacy in recent years. Giving a go-by to the formal handshake, he popularised the bear hug while meeting several heads of state. Soon, the “Modi hug” became a norm, with many world leaders adapting to it.
So what does one make of “toffee diplomacy”? When asked, Aurora Russi, Deputy Head of Mission at the Italian embassy in India, said: “Toffee diplomacy is a nice expression and I would see it as a cherry on top of the cake in diplomacy.” Russi described the gesture as a memorable diplomatic moment in an interview with a national daily recently.
“It was a great idea… a great way of making it even more iconic. The attention that the Melody hashtag has had, the kind of attraction and the relation our prime minister has managed to build with the Indian prime minister is certainly centrestage,” she added.
“Our prime minister is very charismatic, as is your prime minister, and the two of them together are explosive. One can see that there is a personal connection that leads to a lot more. It is genuine and authentic,” Russi explained.
According to Russi, the two leaders come from different environments, but are comfortable displaying their rapport. “They are not shy of showing that,” she said.
Toffees apart, Russi said there is “hard work from both sides” to make things happen between the two countries, agreeing that the personal chemistry between the two leaders is a binding force. “It was the first of its kind and that is why it grabs attention every time it happens,” she said.
Between the toffees—which Russi said “were delicious”—she attributes much of the attention to the personal chemistry the two leaders share. “It showed once more that you can deal with very serious issues, you can deal with international affairs and big economic agreements, and still be light and human. There is nothing wrong in that. There is something authentic in showing that there is friendship and a personal connection. Why not?” she said.
On a serious note, Russi said 2026 is a “turning point” in relations between the two countries. “We have lost a lot of years. We had a new start in 2023 when our prime minister visited India and since then the relationship has continued to build up. This is a turning point and there is much more to come. A new kind of trust is building up which leads to a lot of other things—cooperation, innovation, science, and so on and so forth. The time is now and that is thanks to toffee diplomacy and everything that has and will follow,” she said.
Reiterating that the “personal chemistry” helps a great deal, she said it is taking the relationship to another level. “Thanks to it, things are getting done at a faster pace than we imagined,” she said.
Italy, she said, attaches “huge importance to India”, suggesting that the game has only just begun.
On substantive issues, Russi points to the elevation of bilateral ties from a strategic partnership to a special strategic partnership, faster engagement between the two countries, a shift from contact to contracts, and growing investments in each other.
Of course, there are gaps and disagreements, particularly over Ukraine. “For us it is a war of aggression and there is someone who is the aggressor and someone who is the victim. On that we will keep having different views,” Russi said.
“We have a different position on how to reform the United Nations, but that does not mean we will not be talking to each other,” she clarified.
“Differences will always be there, but that does not mean the relationship suffers or stops simply because we think in a different way,” she added.
Toffees, bonhomie and chemistry apart, the fact remains that after the tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, Italy did not directly call out Pakistan—a fact that rankled many Indians.
When asked about it, Russi said: “Our prime minister was among the first to condemn the attack. We are a country that has suffered terrorism, so we do relate to what happened in Pahalgam. We stand with India. On the other hand, until you have the connection, which is sometimes difficult to prove, how can you blame and shame?” she said.
It was a response that deftly sidestepped the issue, as any seasoned diplomat would.
—The writer is an author, journalist and political commentator
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