January 13 marked an important milestone for the civil aviation industry in India. That day SpiceJet announced a deal to buy 205 aircraft worth $22 billion from US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, becoming its biggest customer in India.

The deal is only second to the $27-billion order that IndiGo placed with Airbus in 2015.

For Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President, Sales, Asia Pacific and India, Boeing, the special moment came a few days earlier on December 31, 2016, when he sealed the deal with SpiceJet. He had come a long way from 1989, when he was hired by Boeing to work in India for a year.

Instead, the mechanical engineer who has a doctorate in aerospace engineering, has stayed put for 38 years and has sold over 1,000 Boeing aircraft in India and the rest of the Asian Pacific countries.

Among these are other ‘large’ orders. He picked up a 230-aeroplane order in Indonesia, was present with former American President Barack Obama as Vietnam signed for 100 Boeing aircraft and was also there for the 75 Boeing 737 MAX-deal with Jet Airways in 2015.

Keskar started his innings selling aircraft in 1990 (he started out as an engineer before that).

The art

For Keskar, it‘s not just about selling aircraft but building a relationship and history with the airline, and how the two partners work together to build trust.

“In terms of deals, of course pricing is important,” he concedes but is quick to add that the product itself is important; you may get the best deal but if the product does not do well then it is no good.

“It is relationship, product and trust and longevity of association which are important for anybody,” says Keskar. He points out that in 2005 when SpiceJet re-launched its services, it was with three Boeing 737 aircraft. That relationship helped him now to strike a deal with the Delhi-based airline, which was also in talk with Airbus.

Back in 1991, “it was a complex and difficult process” selling aircraft as there were only Air India and Indian Airlines. Boeing undertook a campaign which lasted close to two years, after which Keskar finally sold four Boeing 747 aircraft to Air India for $ 700 million. From there to completing the 205 aircraft deal with SpiceJet, one would think that the 62-year-old is ready to call it a day.

Not Keskar. He says that there are “deals to be made” especially as the Indian civil aviation market is growing at 20 per cent, the fastest in the world. So there will be more deals in India, and the rest of Asia. “There is potential in Thailand, Vietnam and I will say even Indonesia. Asia is one of the most prominent regions for aircraft purchase. The forecast is that 40 per cent of all our aircraft deliveries for the next 20 years will be in Asia,” said Keskar.

With at least another three years before he reaches the official retirement age in Boeing, expect more deals from him.

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