Parle Products has increased production of its Melody toffee after a sharp surge in demand triggered by a viral video in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a pack of the candy to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, company Vice President Mayank Shah said on Thursday.
Calling the moment the “biggest of all campaigns” in the brand’s history, Shah said the company would build on the unexpected global visibility, adding that Parle Products will work to strengthen the international presence of Melody, which is currently available in 100 countries.
On consumer and distributor response, he said, "The early feedback that we have got from distributors is that, yes, there is demand. Suddenly, we are seeing a spike in demand".
He added that demand has surged sharply across digital and quick commerce platforms. "On channels like quick commerce, we see an immediate spike because we see buying going up...We have seen a huge demand coming in from e-commerce as well. The sales have gone up significantly".
Shah further noted that online interest has risen rapidly. "The search results for the term Melody on quick commerce have gone up significantly, Shah said, adding "that is something that we have seen since yesterday morning".
Confirming a production push, he said, "Since yesterday, we have increased the production...we are seeing heightened demand, coming in even from abroad".
Reacting to the viral moment, Shah said, "It is a moment of immense pride for all of us at Parle, when we are talking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifting Parle Melody to world leaders".
He described the gesture as a major boost for Indian brands globally. "It is a powerful testament to the potential of Swadeshi brands on the global stage", he said.
Shah added, "Parle Melody is India's largest selling toffee brand, and today it is available in more than 100 countries...He (Modi) has done his job now; it's our responsibility to ensure that we scale up this brand globally and make it really big.
"We are deeply grateful to the Prime Minister for giving Indian brands this incredible recognition and visibility," he added.
The company said it plans to aggressively leverage the moment for brand promotion. "We have already started doing digitally from yesterday onwards and going forward, (there will be) promotion of the same in multiple media, other media vehicles as well," Shah noted.
"It is a great opportunity for the Swadeshi brand given by our honourable Prime Minister," he said.
On Wednesday, Parle Products joined the online buzz after Modi gifted a packet of Melody toffees to Meloni during an interaction that quickly went viral on social media.
The gesture triggered a wave of “Melodi” memes online — a long-running internet joke linking Meloni’s name with the candy brand amid the widely discussed camaraderie between the two leaders.
Capitalising on the moment, Parle Products shared the video on Instagram with the caption: "Sweetening relationships since 1983".