India-Italy ties: How the 'melodi' came after setbacks, what is at stake

Last week, the hashtag #Melodi trended widely on social media, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to a post on X by his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni. Meloni had posted a selfie with Modi, taken on the sidelines of the COP28 meet in Dubai, saying "Good friends at COP28". Meloni also added #Melodi, a combination of the two leaders' names. Modi reposted the picture, writing: "Meeting friends is always a delight." The bonhomie and the hashtag represent the new harmony in India-Italy ties, coming after some rough years. Advertisement History India and Italy are ancient civilisations with links going back…