Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni invoked a popular Hindi proverb while welcoming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rome, underscoring the growing partnership between India and Italy and drawing attention for her use of Hindi during a joint interaction.
Speaking on May 20, Meloni described Modi's visit as a significant milestone in bilateral relations and said it marked the beginning of a new chapter in cooperation between the two countries. She praised the efforts being made by both nations to strengthen ties and emphasised the importance of hard work in achieving shared goals.
"This visit of yours is an honour for us. It opens a new page in the relations with our country. It is not going to be the last one in this long book that you are writing together with resolution, doing our work in the best possible way," Meloni said.
The Italian leader then referred to the Hindi word "parishram" (hard work), noting that it is widely used in India. Quoting a well-known Hindi saying, she remarked, "Parishram hi safalta ki kunji hai," which translates to "Hard work is the key to success."
Explaining the phrase, Meloni said that the proverb perfectly reflected the approach adopted by both countries in building stronger diplomatic and strategic ties.
"There is an Indian word which states that very well - parishram. It means hard work. A word which, I know, is very often used in India. It is often used in a very popular way of saying parishram hi safalta ki kunji hai. It means tough work is the key to success, and we are used to build our relations in this way, where hard work becomes success again," she said.
Her remarks highlighted the increasing warmth in India-Italy relations, which have witnessed significant progress in recent years across sectors including trade, defence, technology, clean energy and strategic cooperation.
The use of a Hindi proverb by the Italian Prime Minister also drew attention on social media, where users praised the gesture as a reflection of growing cultural understanding and diplomatic camaraderie between the two nations.
PM Modi's visit to Italy comes amid efforts by both governments to deepen engagement and expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Meloni's reference to the Hindi saying served as a symbolic message that sustained effort and collaboration remain at the heart of the evolving India-Italy partnership.
