India Italy Partnership: PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Italy has given a new direction to the relations between India and Italy. After the high level meeting held in Rome between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, both the countries have agreed to upgrade their relations to Special Strategic Partnership. During this period, it has been decided to increase cooperation in many important areas like trade, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, defense space and education. The special thing is that the big impact of this partnership can be seen on Indian students, researchers and professionals.

Cooperation will increase in education and research sector

India and Italy have prepared new roadmaps regarding higher education and research. Both the countries have laid emphasis on increasing university exchange programs, research partnerships and student cooperation. This may open up new opportunities for Indian students to study and research in Italy. It is being told that both the countries will promote cooperation between educational institutions, so that joint research projects can be started in areas like technology, science, design and innovation. This will increase the chances of Indian students getting access to the advanced research networks of Europe.

Movement will become easier for Indian students and professionals

Migration and Mobility Agreement is also being taken forward between India and Italy. Under this, work is being done to make the movement easier for students, professionals and skilled workers. According to reports, currently more than 5100 Indian students are studying in Italy and this number may increase further in the coming time. Both the countries have also decided to increase cooperation for easy entry and employment of Indian nurses and healthcare professionals in Italy. This can open new career opportunities in Europe for Indian youth.

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New opportunities will be found in AI and quantum technology

During the meeting, India and Italy agreed to work together in future technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing. Both countries will focus on research, skills, development and technology innovation. Experts believe that this will give an opportunity to Indian startups, engineering students, tech professionals to connect with the tech network of Europe. Both the countries can start new projects and research initiatives together.

Work will also be done on Design in Italy, Scale in India model

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Italy is known in the world for design and precision, while India has become a major center of scale, talent and affordable innovation. With this thinking, both the countries will work on Design and Development in India and Italy, Deliver for the World model. Under this, there is also a plan to set up India-Italy Innovation Center, where startups and tech companies of both the countries will be able to work together.

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Between May 15 and May 20, 2026, PM Modi has returned after visiting five countries in just six days. This journey was not limited to just foreign hospitality or photo sessions, but India returned from every stop with something that would directly give a new dimension to the country’s energy security, chip manufacturing, green energy and business strength. From UAE to Italy, each meeting resulted in agreements that will impact our wallets, our jobs and our security for decades to come. Let us know what exactly PM Modi returned from these five places?

First stop- United Arab Emirates (UAE): New chapter of energy security

PM Modi reached Abu Dhabi first thing on the morning of 15 May. In this short stay of about 3 hours, 7 agreements were signed between the two countries, the most important of which was ‘Strategic Petroleum Reserve Agreement’. This big deal on strategic oil reserves:

• UAE’s national oil company ADNOC will now store 30 million barrels of crude oil in India’s strategic oil reserves. In case of war or interruption in supply, India will have the first right on this reserve. UAE will also pay rent to India for this storage.
• Currently, India has three strategic oil reserves in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, with a capacity of 53.3 lakh metric tons (about 40 million barrels), but they are only 65% ​​filled. After this deal, India’s strategic oil reserves will increase from the current 9 days of consumption to 14-15 days.
• The most special thing about this deal is that instead of passing through the Strait of Hormuz, this UAE oil will directly reach Fujairah port through a special pipeline from Hashban Oil Field, from where ships can come to India. This will provide India with a safe and reliable supply route.

Apart from this, UAE will build a big ship repair center and training center for sailors at Vadinar port in Gujarat. Besides, it was also agreed to invest $3 billion (about Rs 48,000 crore) in infrastructure, banking and financial sectors.

Second Stop – Netherlands: Semiconductor Revolution and Critical Minerals

PM Modi reached Amsterdam at around 9 pm on 15th May and stayed for about one and a half day. During this, he met the royal family and the Prime Minister and a total of 17 agreements were signed. Two of these agreements are very important:

• Historic deals in chip-making: Netherlands’ giant ASML has partnered with Tata Electronics in chip manufacturing. Tata is setting up India’s first semiconductor plant in Dholera, Gujarat at a cost of Rs 91,000 crore. ASML will help in starting chip production there with its monopoly lithography technology. This will reduce India’s dependence on chip imports, which is currently 90%. Chips worth Rs 1.05 lakh crore were imported in 2023-24.
• Support for vital minerals: Netherlands will provide India with modern technology for exploration and mining of 30 important minerals like cobalt, lithium, graphite and nickel. Currently, India imports 70% to 100% of its requirement of minerals from countries like China.

Other than this:

• Kalpasar Project: Water management expert Netherlands will help in the design and engineering of the 30 km long dam to be built on the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat.
• Return of cultural heritage: The Netherlands returned 21 large and 3 small copper plates of the 11th century Chola dynasty to India. Dutch missionaries took them to Europe in the 18th century and India was trying to bring them back since 2012.

Third stop – Sweden: path to strategic partnership and free trade

PM Modi reached Stockholm on 17 May. Here he was awarded the ‘Royal Order of the Polar Star’, Sweden’s highest civilian honour. In Sweden: Strategic Partnership Enhanced: Relations between India and Sweden were elevated to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership’ and a target was set to double bilateral trade in the next 5 years.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her meeting with PM Modi, promised that she would sign this agreement by the end of the year. Under this deal, tariffs on 96.6% of goods coming to India from Europe will be completely removed or greatly reduced. Europe will also do the same on 99.5% of the goods coming from India.

Fourth stop- Norway: Historic journey and green energy after 43 years

PM Modi reached Oslo on 18 May. This was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years, before which Indira Gandhi had gone there in 1983. Many important agreements were signed here between the two countries:

• Green Strategic Partnership: Agreements were reached between the two countries on 12 issues, the most important of which is ‘Green Strategic Partnership’. Under this, Norway will make big investments in India’s clean energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric, nuclear) projects. It is noteworthy that 98% of Norway’s electricity supply comes from clean energy, whereas India has a target of producing 500 GW of clean energy by 2030, against which only 283.46 GW of capacity has been installed by April 2026.
• Talk on LPG purchase: Norway is Europe’s largest oil producer and produces about 2 million barrels of crude oil daily. Since the Iran war, India has increased the purchase of LPG from Norway and is exploring options to buy more oil from there in future.

Fifth stop – Italy: business, IMEC and friendship of ‘Melody’

On the last leg of his European tour, PM Modi reached Rome on May 19 and met Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. Both the leaders traveled in the same car and also took selfies in the 2,000 year old Colosseum. After this Melodi started trending on social media. Two major agreements were signed between India and Italy:

• Agreed on taking forward IMEC: India and Italy decided to advance the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This project will connect India to the Middle East and Europe through railways, ports and shipping networks, which can reduce the time and cost of delivering goods from India to Europe by 30-40%.
• Collaboration in AI and Cyber ​​Security: Both the countries decided to give the status of ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ to their relations and set a target of taking bilateral trade to more than 20 billion euros by 2029. At present there is a trade of 14 billion euros (about Rs 1.60 lakh crore) between the two countries.

PM Modi is currently on a tour of five countries, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, UAE and Italy. In the last leg of this journey, he has reached Italy’s capital Rome, where he gifted a packet of India’s famous ‘Parle Melody’ chocolate to Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. Let us know when Parle’s famous Melody Chocolate was made? What is its history?

What did PM Meloni say on PM Modi’s gift?

Georgia Meloni was very happy to see this surprise gift from PM Modi. He thanked PM Modi by sharing a video on the social media platform ‘X’ (earlier Twitter). He said that Prime Minister Modi has brought the best Toffee Melody as a gift for me. As soon as this video came on the internet, people liked it very much. There was a flood of memes and comments on social media.

When was Parle’s Melody made?

As soon as this video went viral, people started searching about Parle’s ‘Melody’. Everyone wants to know when this favorite toffee of our childhood was made and what is its history? Let us tell you that ‘Melody’ has been made by India’s oldest and well-known company Parle Products. Parle company launched it about 41 years ago i.e. in the year 1983.

In the 1980s and 90s, Melody entered the Indian market and within no time it became the first choice of children and adults alike. The specialty of this toffee is that it has a sweet layer of caramel on the outside and is filled with chocolate cream inside. This unique taste makes it different from other toffees. There was a time when this toffee was available for just 50 paise. Despite rising inflation, even today it is easily available at just one rupee at almost every small and big shop in India.

Why is Melody so chocolatey?

If you belong to the 90s, then you will definitely remember the TV Ad of Melody. Its slogan was, ‘Why is the melody so chocolatey?’ Eat the melody, know yourself!’ This line is counted among the most successful advertisements of the country. This tagline was such a hit that people started joking with friends by taking the name of Melody even in their everyday conversations. The interesting thing is that till date the company has not told why Melody is really so chocolatey and this mystery became its biggest strength.

How did the journey of ‘Parle’ begin?

The company that created the iconic toffee like Melody also has a very glorious history. Parle company was started in the year 1929. It was started by the Chauhan family (Mohanlal Chauhan) in Vile Parle area of ​​Mumbai. Initially this company used to work as a bakery with only 12 people and used to make bread-buns etc. In 1939, the company started making biscuits, of which ‘Parle-G’ became the most famous. Later, candies like Melody in 1983 and ‘Mango Bite’ in 1989 were launched in the market. This company, which started with just Rs 60 thousand, has today become a company with a value of more than Rs 45 thousand crore.

Also read: PM Modi gifted chocolate to Georgia Meloni, Italy’s PM herself shared the melody moment, users reacted

The friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni is once again in discussion on social media. Meloni warmly welcomed PM Modi who arrived on Rome tour. The two leaders had dinner together, visited the historic Colosseum in Rome and were seen traveling together in the same car. It is being called “Car Diplomacy” on social media.

In fact, every meeting between Modi and Meloni goes viral on the internet. Meloni’s #Melodi selfie posted during the COP28 summit made headlines worldwide. After this, pictures and videos of both the leaders were continuously discussed in G7 and other global forums.

This time Meloni also mentioned the “Melody” toffee gift given by PM Modi and posted it in a funny manner. This is the reason why “Melodi” is no longer just a meme but has become a new symbol of India-Italy friendship.

Thank you for the gift pic.twitter.com/7ePxbJwPbA

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) May 20, 2026

Meloni and Modi’s Melody Factor
The friendship between Prime Minister Modi and Meloni has now become a special identity on social media in the name of “Melodi” hashtag. It started during the COP28 summit held in Dubai in December 2023, when Meloni posted a selfie with Modi and wrote – “Good friends at COP28” and gave the hashtag #Melodi. Modi also reposted it and wrote, “Meeting friends always gives happiness.”

Meeting friends is always a delight. https://t.co/4PWqZZaDKC

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 2, 2023

After this, during the G7 Summit in June 2024, Meloni again posted the video and said, “Hi friends, from #Melodi.” In response, Modi wrote, “Long live India-Italy friendship.”

Long live India-Italy friendship! https://t.co/vtOv8lfO51

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 15, 2024

Even in June 2025, both the leaders praised each other on social media, describing India-Italy friendship as strong. “Melodi” is now not just a social media trend but has become the new identity of India-Italy relations.

Fully agree with you, PM Giorgia Meloni. India’s friendship with Italy will continue to get stronger, greatly benefitting our people!@GiorgiaMeloni https://t.co/LaYIIZn8Ry

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 17, 2025

Melonie wishes PM Modi on every birthday

The growing friendship between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is clearly visible on social media also. For the last three years, Melonie has been continuously wishing PM Modi on his birthday.

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On September 17, 2023, Meloni had wished Modi on his birthday, calling him a “friend committed to building the future”. In response, Modi thanked him.

Thank you for your wishes PM @GiorgiaMeloni. https://t.co/5CkX4h84pj

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2023

On September 17, 2024, Meloni again wished PM Modi and said that India and Italy will together face global challenges and the friendship between the two countries will become stronger.

Wishing a very happy birthday to the Prime Minister of India! @narendramodi. I am sure that we will continue to strengthen our friendship and cooperation between Italy and India, to face together the global challenges that await us pic.twitter.com/pqXo0ljK8F

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) September 17, 2024

Whereas on 17 September 2025, on Modi’s 75th birthday, Meloni described him as an inspirational leader and wished him good health and energy. Modi also appreciated Italy’s friendship in reply.

Thank you Prime Minister Meloni for your warm wishes. Deeply appreciate Italy’s friendship and look forward to strengthening it further.@GiorgiaMeloni https://t.co/u2zNuOT3dk

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2025

When did Modi-Meloni meet?

The chemistry between Prime Minister Modi and Italian Prime Minister Meloni has been much talked about in the last few years. The two leaders have been meeting continuously at major global forums like G20, G7 and COP28.

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The first official meeting of the two was at the G20 Summit held in Bali, Indonesia in November 2022. After this, Meloni came to India in March 2023, where many important agreements were signed between the two countries.

Then both the leaders were seen together in Delhi G20 Summit in September 2023, Dubai COP28 in December 2023, Italy’s G7 Summit in June 2024 and South Africa’s G20 Conference in November 2025.

Now in May 2026, PM Modi reached Italy, where Meloni gave him a special welcome. The two leaders had dinner together and also visited the famous Colosseum of Rome.

It is clear from the continuously increasing meetings that India and Italy are no longer just formal partners but are trying to take strategic cooperation to new heights. The closeness between the two countries is increasing rapidly on issues like defence, trade, technology and global politics.