Chicago [US], June 27 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inspired India to dream big and has shown the world that if acted with determination and perseverance, even bigger dreams can be achieved, said Ambassador of India to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu at an event in Chicago.

The Indian Ambassador was speaking as the chief guest at the 'Sadhbhavana event' organised by NID Foundation. He launched two books, 'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith' and 'Modi@20: Realism Meets Livery' written on PM Modi, highlighting his relations with Sikhs, on the occasion.

Taking to twitter, Sandhu said, "Delighted to participate in the Sadhbhavana event in Chicago. Highlighted India's vision under PM @narendramodi's leadership for - India-US partnership, Diaspora in USIndia's neighbourhood - which I have had the opportunity to be closely associated with."The Indian Ambassador, in his speech, said that Prime Minister has played a key role in role in building trust between the two countries as he understands the potential of India-US relations.

"America was seen by the Prime Minister as a very close friend and a strong partner, which was instrumental in turning the dreams and development aspirations of nearly 1.4 billion Indians into reality. India and the US conduct more bilateral military exercises with each other today than any other country," Sandhu said.

Speaking about bilateral trade between the two countries, Sandhu said that India's bilateral trade with the US, which was USD 0 in the late 1990s, has now exceeded USD 20 billion. Similarly, our NG trade, which was USD 0 billion 5 years ago, is USD 20 billion today. Last year was historic in this direction when we achieved USD 160 billion in India-US bilateral trade.

He continued, "Present India is a country of youth. Among 1.4 billion Indians, 50% are 26 years or younger and they are USA's best friends in India because these young people have energy and positivity. They look at America very positively. Over 2,00,000 Indian students are studying in the US, and two-thirds of them are in STEM fields, which is an important area for the US."Sandhu further said that PM Modi has become a voice of the developing nations, and has influenced the global decisions in developed countries.

"From education and space research to providing COVID-19 vaccines to the whole world; from the COP26 Global Presidential Summit in Glasgow to the World Economic Forum's Davos Summit, PM Modi has truly guided the world," he added.

Further, praising the NID Foundation, Sandhu said, "The book 'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith' by NID Foundation is a wonderful and sincere effort to display the respect and affection of the Prime Minister for Punjab and the Sikh community.""American oncologist Dr Bharat Barai's second book, 'Modi@20: Realism Meets Livery', is a compilation of a few chapters written by intellectual and domain experts, which talks about a unique governance model in Gujarat and the unprecedented transformation of the nation in the last 20 years," he added.

He said that while the first book depicts the good governance model of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the second book describes the initiatives taken by the Prime Minister for the uplift of the Sikh community.

Speaking on the occasion, Sri Sri Ravishankar lauded PM Modi for the initiatives taken by his government in eight years of his governance.

He said, "India is at a very crucial stage of transformation, where from the development of infrastructure to reaching out to many other poorest sections of the society and to providing the ease of business to all, the progress and development made by the Prime Minister are phenomenal. I appeal to those who have not been to India in the last few years, please come to India and see the new, modern India."Stressing on the US-India relations, US Senator Ron Johnson said that US-Indo bilateral relations have improved since PM Modi came to power in India. He said that the USA has always considered India as its true ally.

"At last month's Quarter Summit, our President Joe Biden reiterated that he is committed to further improving America's partnership with India. He appreciated India's global efforts for COVID-19 vaccination and believes that both the countries are working together in many areas and will continue to do so," Johnson added.

Chief Patron of NID Foundation, Satnam Singh Sandhu also hailed PM Modi and termed him a wonderful leader, highly experienced strategist and a great humanitarian. He thanked him for the pro-Sikh work of the present government under his leadership.

"Prime Minister's political and humane skills have ensured that the role of NRIs again becomes most important in India's path to becoming 'Vishwaguru' (world leader). On every visit to any country, PM always interacts with people from his Indian community and takes time to take stock of the problem or issues. The spirit of 'Vishwa Sadbhawana' has emerged from the love and respect of Prime Minister Modi for the people and humanity at the global level."During the event, dignitaries of USA and of Indian origin, including thought leaders, entrepreneurs, members of the US Senate, corporate leaders, academicians and spiritual leaders from around the world, including US Senator Ron Johnson, Indian spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Chancellor of Wisconsin-Parkside University, Dr Deborah L. Ford, Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, Robin Vos; Chief Patron of NID Foundation, Satnam Singh Sandhu and prominent American businessman, Darshan Singh Dheewar and Member of Parliament of India Hans Raj Hans were present. (ANI)