Melody may have had its moment in the sun thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifting a packet to Italian counterpart Georgia Meloni on Tuesday, but the fact is Indian toffees have been scripting sweet tales across the world for a while now.Eclairs to Melody, the exports of India’s toffees and similar confectionery products have soared 166% between 2013-14 and 2025-26.The Union Commerce Ministry data show that in the financial year 2013-14 India exported toffees and confectionery to 50 countries and earned Rs 49.7 crore.Sources say while volumes were already meaningful at 6,652 metric tonnes, realisations were low largely driven by a few bulk-volume markets such as Cameroon and Gambia, which alone accounted for over 50% of all shipments.By FY2025-26, the scenario transformed fundamentally.India now exports to 74 countries, with a value of Rs 132 crore — a 166% jump in rupee terms.Volume grew +10.6%, but the real story is per-tonne realisation, which has improved by approximately two and a half times in a clear signal of the shift from bulk, low-value trade to higher-margin, diversified markets.Entirely new high-value destinations have emerged — Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Italy, UK, Oman, Iraq, Spain, Morocco, Kuwait and the USA — all near-zero or absent in FY14.Europe and the Gulf, once barely on the map, are now meaningful contributors. This geographic diversification reduces concentration risk and reflects growing international confidence in Indian confectionery quality and packaging standards.The data confirms a clear trajectory: India’s confectionery exporters have moved up the value chain, broadened their global footprint by 48%, and built a more resilient, higher-earning export portfolio across twelve years.”The foundation is strong — and the potential for further growth remains significant,” officials say.Toffees and related confectionery items fall under the Scheduled products of the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority(APEDA).