A simple Re 1 toffee that once lived quietly inside school bags and neighbourhood shops has now found itself at the centre of a global political moment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently gifted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a pack of Melody toffees during his visit to Rome, turning the internet’s favourite “Melodi” meme into reality.
Meloni later shared a post on X thanking PM Modi for the sweet gesture, with the light-hearted exchange reviving the internet’s popular “Melodi” hastag, a nickname given by social media users to both leaders.
What looked like a light-hearted exchange quickly became much bigger online. The viral moment even triggered confusion in the stock market. Shares of Parle Industries jumped 5 per cent and hit the upper circuit. But there was one catch, the company behind Melody is not actually listed on the stock market and not the original owner. The toffee is made by Parle Products, the privately held FMCG giant known for household favourites like Parle-G, Monaco, Hide & Seek and Mango Bite.
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How a Rs 1 Toffee Reached Global Headlines
For many Indians, Melody is more than just candy. It is nostalgia wrapped in a brown-and-yellow cover. Long before premium chocolates filled supermarket shelves, Melody was the affordable sweet treat children could buy with pocket money.
Melody, launched by Parle, a tiny caramel-chocolate toffee was never marketed as a luxury product. Instead, Melody became the kind of candy stuffed into school bags, bought from neighbourhood kirana stores, or handed out as change by local shopkeepers.
The story behind the company is equally rooted in Indian history. Parle Products traces its origins to 1929, when Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan, inspired by the Swadeshi movement, started a small confectionery business in Mumbai’s Vile Parle area to create Indian alternatives to British products. Over time, the Chauhan family transformed it into one of India’s biggest food and confectionery businesses.
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The candy’s success came from its simple appeal with a chewy caramel exterior with a soft chocolate centre. Melody quietly created its own loyal consumer base without dramatic rebranding or reinvention.
Today, the company is led by Vijay Chauhan along with his brothers Sharad Chauhan and Raj Chauhan.
Decades later, Melody still survives without flashy campaigns or any new add-ons. And now, thanks to a viral political friendship and one unexpected gift in Rome, the humble Re 1 toffee has once again become part of a larger cultural moment.