India's toffee exports jump 166 pc in 12 years to reach Rs 132 cr in 2025-26

The countrys toffee and similar confectionery items exports climbed 166 per cent in the past 12 years to reach Rs 132 crore in 2025-26, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday.Exports of these items stood at Rs 49.68 crore in 2013-14.Indias TOFFEE TALE would surely be melody to the ears

The country's toffee and similar confectionery items exports climbed 166 per cent in the past 12 years to reach Rs 132 crore in 2025-26, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday.

Exports of these items stood at Rs 49.68 crore in 2013-14.

''India's TOFFEE TALE would surely be melody to the ears! Exports have grown nearly 166% since 2013-14,'' Goyal said in a post on social media.

In US dollar terms, the shipments grew 64 per cent to USD 13.41 million in 2025-26 as compared to USD 8.17 million in 2013-14. Further in volume terms, the exports increased by 10.6 per cent to 7,357 tonnes in the last fiscal from 6,652 tonnes in 2013-14.

The country's toffee and similar confectionery exports now go to as many as 74 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Italy, the UK, Oman, Iraq, Spain, Morocco, Kuwait and the USA.

''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 commerce ministry said in a statement.

The commerce minister came up with the data after Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gifting her 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted ''Melodi'' wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media.

In a social media post, Meloni shared a video in which she could be heard saying, Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee -- Melody.

He is visiting Italy at the invitation of Meloni to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, defence, clean energy and technology.

The hashtag ''Melodi'', a blend of Modi and Meloni's names, was coined by the Italian prime minister during the COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and later went viral on social media following the warm interactions between the two leaders at global events.