Melody moment for India: Toffee exports climb 166% over last decade

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said India's exports of toffees, caramels and similar sweets have risen nearly 166% over the last decade, pointing to growing global demand for Indian confectionery products.

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"India's TOFFEE TALE would surely be melody to the ears! Exports have grown nearly 166% since 2013-14," Goyal said on X. The minister also shared a graphic showing exports in the category rising from ₹49.68 crore in FY2013-14 to ₹132 crore in FY2025-26.

The graphic described the rise as the "sweetness of 'Made in India' toffees" winning over global markets, with brands such as Melody, Kismi, Pulse and Mango Bite emerging as symbols of the growing international appeal of Indian candies and sweets.

The post came days after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gifting her "Melody" toffees during his visit to Italy.

In a video shared on social media, Meloni said, "Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee -- Melody." "Thank you for the gift," the caption read.

Modi, seen laughing in the video, joined in as Meloni revived the now-viral "Melodi" wordplay - a blend of the two leaders' names that first gained traction during COP28 in Dubai in 2023.

"Good friends at COP28," Meloni had posted earlier with the hashtag “Melodi” alongside a photograph with Modi.

PM Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday on the final leg of his five-nation tour covering the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. He is visiting Italy at Meloni’s invitation to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, clean energy and technology.

The two leaders have maintained close engagement in recent years, including during Meloni’s visit to India for the G20 Summit in 2023.

At the joint press statement with PM Modi, Meloni said, "We certainly want to foster our already strong trade up to 20 Billion Euros, all the way up from the current 14 Billion Euros by 2029."

She said this was a very ambitious target, which can be achieved by taking advantage of the potential stemming from the Free Trade Agreement signed between the EU and India.