Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent Italy visit created a viral social media moment after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shared a video of him gifting her a pack of Melody toffees.

The gesture quickly revived the popular "Melodi" meme online and also brought fresh attention to Parle Products, the company behind Melody candies. Many people started searching about the company's history, ownership, popular brands and the business family that built one of India's biggest biscuit and confectionery companies over several decades.

Who Owns Parle Products?

The original House of Parle was later divided into three companies Parle Products, Parle Agro and Parle Bisleri. Melody remains under Parle Products, which is managed by Vijay Chauhan, Sharad Chauhan and Raj Chauhan of the Chauhan family.

According to reports, Vijay Chauhan and his family have a net worth of around $8.6 billion. In FY2025, Parle Products reported revenue of Rs 15,568.49 crore and profit of Rs 979.53 crore. The company also holds nearly 15% share in India's confectionery market.

How Parle Started In India

Parle Products traces its roots back to 1929 when the original company, called "House of Parle", was founded by Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan in Mumbai's Vile Parle area. The company initially started with confectionery and candy products. Mohanlal Chauhan travelled to Germany to learn confectionery-making techniques and imported machinery worth around Rs 60,000 to India.

The first factory was set up with just 12 workers, most of whom were family members. The company's first product was an orange candy. Later, in 1938, Parle launched its famous Parle Gluco biscuits, which eventually became Parle-G. The biscuit remained one of India's best-selling biscuit brands for decades.