How #Melodi Broke the Internet and Cemented the Turnaround in India-Italy Relations Under PM Modi

Around 1,280 million impressions on X (formerly Twitter) and the top search trend in India on Google for three days straight — this is how the hashtag ‘Melodi’ broke the internet after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted a selfie with PM Narendra Modi on social media earlier this month.

The selfie took the internet by storm with the usage of #Melodi trending far and wide.

On X, #Melodi trended prominently, amassing a staggering 1,280 million impressions worldwide, with around 2.67 lakh posts and mentions. On Instagram, from December 1 to 5, #Melodi achieved the highest interaction count, reaching 6.61 million. In India, ‘Meloni’ and ‘Melodi’ stood out as top searched keywords on Google web search from December 1 to December 3.

The camaraderie between the two leaders, as often seen on various international forums, not only indicates the close friendship between them but is also reflective of the turnaround India-Italy relations have seen under PM Modi, government sources told News18.

Diplomatic Turnaround

In 2012, relations between the two nations reached their lowest point, following an incident involving Italian marines and Indian fishermen.

But a diplomatic thaw began in 2017 with the visit of then Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni to India, marking the first such visit in a decade since Prime Minister Prodi’s visit in 2007.

Further strengthening ties, a virtual bilateral summit was held in 2020 between the Indian Prime Minister and then Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte.

In 2021, the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Italy marked another milestone, the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in over a decade since Manmohan Singh’s visit in 2009.

Post-Meloni era, Italy and India relations have witnessed a drastic level of collaboration and confidence, government sources say.

Italy signed an MoU to establish the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), and both countries are actively involved in initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the Global Biofuel Alliance.

The trade volume between Italy and India has more than doubled in the past two years, reaching a record 15 billion euros by 2022.

There is speculation that Italy’s decision to step back from China’s Belt and Road Initiative might be influenced by its burgeoning relationship with India.

The selfie shared by Giorgia Meloni with PM Modi, using the hashtag #Melodi, seems to symbolise a ground-breaking shift in the relationship between the two countries, ushering in an unprecedented era of bilateral ties, government sources say.

The Numbers

The Italian Prime Minister’s post featuring this hashtag drew around 45 million views, over 4.5 lakh likes, and nearly 60,000 shares. On X, #Melodi held its position as one of the top trends for a substantial duration.

This bonhomie was noticed not only in India, but the keyword ‘Melodi’ had the highest search volumes worldwide on Google in Denmark, Indonesia, Norway, and Tanzania.

On Instagram, Giorgia Meloni’s daily follower base was experiencing a negative trend before her post with the hashtag #Melodi. On November 30, the total number of followers was 2.15 million before her post.

However, by December 5, the total number of her followers increased to 2.30 million, indicating a 7% growth in the follower base in matter of days.