Dinesh Keskar is
senior vice president, Asia-Pacific & India Sales for Boeing
Commercial
Airplanes, a position he assumed in February 2012. He is responsible for
the Boeing
business relationships with airline customers in Asia Pacific & India and
for
sale of
commercial airplanes to customers in those regions.
From 2009 until
his present assignment, Keskar was vice president of Boeing
International and
president of Boeing India. In that role he was responsible for
representing the
entire enterprise and for leading Boeing-wide efforts focused on
expanding the
company’s local presence and pursuing new growth and productivity
initiatives in
India.
From 2004, Keskar
served as Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of
Sales for South
and Southeast Asia. His responsibilities included overseeing all
commercial
airplanes activities in Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal
and Sri Lanka.
In 2000, Keskar
was the vice president, Sales, and president of Boeing Aircraft
Trading. In this
dual role, he was responsible for marketing all types of aircraft, owned
by Boeing, to
customers worldwide, and managed all commercial airplanes sales
activities in
India. Keskar served as president of Boeing Aircraft Trading until March
2005.
From 1995 to
2000, Keskar served as president of Boeing India for Boeing
Commercial
Airplanes. In this role, he was responsible for sales and marketing of
commercial
airplanes, airline support and industrial partnership activities in India.
From 1987 to
1995, Keskar was a director of International Sales, where he managed all
of Boeing’s
airplane sales and marketing activities in India, and was responsible for
managing
relationships with government-operated Air India and Indian Airlines, related
civil aviation
government offices and new India-based private airlines.
Since he joined
Boeing in June 1980, Keskar has held senior positions in
engineering,
marketing and sales. From 1980 to 1986, he was responsible for research
and consultation
in the areas of system identification, digital signal processing and
modern control
theory. Keskar developed the techniques to conduct flight tests and
analyze flight
test data to obtain airplane math models for the 737, 747, 757 and 767
flight
simulators. Before joining Boeing, Keskar worked as a research associate in the
Flight Dynamics
and Control Division at NASA Langley Research Center.
Keskar serves on
several boards and organizations, including the national board
of directors of
the American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin; former chairman of
Amcham India,
chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry’s FICCI
civil aviation committee; the advisory board of the College of
Engineering at
the University of Cincinnati; U.S.-India Business Council Board Member
Emeritus, which
operates under sponsorship of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; is a
Fellow of the
Royal Aeronautical Society; and an Associate Fellow of the American
Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics.
From 2003 to
2007, he served as a member of the board of directors of the
International
Society of Transport Aircraft Trading, an organization that serves as the
official voice
for the entire commercial transport aircraft secondary marketplace, and
was a member of
the executive committee of the Indo-American Society. Keskar
remains an active
member of Indian community organizations in the United States.
In 1999, Keskar
was honored with the “Distinguished Alumni Award” by the
University of
Cincinnati for meritorious achievement, recognized stature and
conspicuous
success in the imaginative blending of engineering education with highly
productive
endeavors in industry. In 2006, he received the Outstanding Achievement
award from the
American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin.
Keskar received
his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Nagpur
India with a Gold
Medal in 1975. He received his master’s and doctorate degrees in
aerospace
engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1976 and 1978,
respectively.
Further, he received an MBA from City University in Seattle in 1987 and
was a recipient
of the President’s Honor Roll. In 1994, he attended the Berkeley
Executive Program
at the University of California, Berkeley.
Boeing Forecasts Demand for 1,850 New Airplanes in India
20-year
Current Market Outlook shows continued strong market worth $265 billion
Single-aisle
airplanes driving growth
Boeing
[NYSE: BA] forecasts a demand for 1,850 new
airplanes
in India, valued at $265 billion, over the next 20 years. The company today
released
its annual Current Market Outlook (CMO) for India during a briefing in Mumbai.
“India
continues to have a strong commercial aerospace market and the highest
domestic
traffic growth in the world,” said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia
Pacific
and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “With the new aviation policies
in
place,
we see even greater opportunities and remain confident in the market and the
airlines
in India.”
According
to Boeing’s CMO, single-aisle airplanes such as the Next-Generation
737
and 737 MAX will continue to account for the largest share of new deliveries,
with
airlines
in India needing approximately 1,560 airplanes. These new airplanes will
continue
to support the growth of low-cost carriers and replace older, less-efficient
airplanes.
“Boeing’s
strong orders and deliveries for the Next-Generation 737 and 737 MAX
underscore
how we are meeting our customers’ demands and expectations, offering
them
the most fuel efficient, reliable and capable airplanes,” said Keskar. “We also
continue
to be the preferred choice for widebody airplanes in India, with more than 85
percent
of the market share.”
Other
key highlights from the annual outlook include:
· Traffic growth in India remains the highest
in the world at 8.6 percent
· Domestic passenger traffic increased 21
percent from 2015
· Low cost carrier airlines account for more
than 60 percent of all flights
New Airplane Deliveries to India: 2016-2035
Airplane type
|
Seats
|
Total new deliveries
|
Dollar value
|
Regional jets
|
90 and below
|
10
|
<$1B
|
Single-aisle
|
90-230
|
1,560
|
$180B
|
Widebody
|
200+
|
280
|
$85B
|
Total
|
1,840
(4.6% of world total)
|
$265
(4.5% of world total)
|
Boeing
projects a worldwide demand for 39,620 new airplanes over the next 20
years,
with India carriers needing more than 4.6 percent of the total global demand.
Boeing's
Current Market Outlook is the longest running jet forecast and regarded as the
most
comprehensive analysis of the aviation industry. The full report can be found
at
Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and
Uncertainty
Certain
statements in this release may be "forward-looking" within the
meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expects," "forecasts,"
"projects," "plans," "believes,"
"estimates"
and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements.
Examples of
forward-looking
statements include statements relating to our future plans, business prospects,
financial
condition
and operating results, as well as any other statement that does not directly
relate to any
historical
or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions
about future
events
that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees and are
subject to risks,
uncertainties
and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict.
Many
factors could cause actual events to differ materially from these
forward-looking statements,
including
economic conditions in the United States and globally, general industry
conditions as they may
impact
us or our customers, and other important factors disclosed previously and from
time to time in our
filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak
only as of the
date
they are made and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any such
statement, except as
required
by law.
India
Boeing in India
More than 75
years ago, Tata Airlines operated a DC-3 aircraft in India. Since then, with
the 707, 747, 757Freighter, 777, 737 and the game-changing 787 Dreamliner,
Boeing has been the mainstay of India’s commercial aviation sector with
airlines such as Air India, Jet Airways and SpiceJet.
Boeing’s
relationship with India on the defense front goes back to the 1940s, when the
Indian Air Force enlisted two Boeing aircraft — the T-6 Texan or Harvard
Advanced Trainer made by North American Aviation, and the C-47 Skytrain
military transport, a military variant of the DC-3, made by McDonnell Douglas.
Presently with
10 C-17 Globemaster strategic airlifters and eight P-8I maritime surveillance
and anti-submarine aircraft delivered, Boeing is playing an important role in
the mission-readiness and modernization of India’s defense forces.
Headquartered
in Delhi, Boeing’s India operations include an office and a Boeing Research and
Technology Center in Bangalore, field service offices in Mumbai, Hindan, Rajali
and New Delhi. Boeing subsidiary, Jeppesen - a provider of flight navigation
solutions is well established in Hyderabad. Another subsidiary, Continental
Data Graphics (CDG) in Chennai, is also expanding footprint in the country.
Boeing in
India has around 500 employees and more than 4000 people work on dedicated
Boeing supply-chain jobs with its 18 suppliers across manufacturing,
engineering and IT sectors. The company continues to increase its footprint as
tier-1, tier-2 suppliers and sourcing activities continue to grow rapidly.
Boeing
Commercial Airplanes
Air India has
been a Boeing Commercial Airplanes customer since 1960, when it acquired its
first 707 jetliner. Indian Airlines inducted the 737 Classic in the 1970s; the
Next-Generation 737 is the workhorse today with airlines such as Jet Airways,
Air India Express and Spicejet; and India’s largest express cargo operator Blue
Dart uses the Boeing 757Freighter.
In 2006 Air
India signed a contract for 68 Boeing jets. Since September 2012, Air India has
been receiving its all-new, fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliners, which offer 20
percent more fuel savings than today’s similarly sized airplanes. The
Dreamliner has helped Air India launch new routes to international
destinations. 21 787s are now with Air India serving them to expand
international routes and fuel efficient operations. Jet Airways, a Boeing
customer since the 1990s, operates 737s and 777s on its domestic and
international routes. At the Dubai Airshow in November 2015, Jet Airways
confirmed an order of 75 737 MAX, its biggest ever fleet order. Additionally,
the Indian Ministry of Defence operates four 737-200s and three 737 Boeing
Business Jets. 2
Boeing is
committed to offering efficient commercial airplanes and services that deliver
superior design and passenger comfort to meet emerging customer needs in India.
Boeing
Defense, Space & Security
On January 1,
2009, the government of India ordered eight advanced anti-submarine and
anti-surface warfare aircraft, P-8I. The P-8I is an India-unique variant of the
U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon, which was developed from the Boeing 737-800. All
eight P-8I’s have been delivered to the Indian Navy.
In June 2011,
India’s Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the U.S. government to
acquire 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifters.
Shortly after
the first Boeing C-17 Globemaster arrived in India in 2013, the aircraft
supported a mission to carry equipment to an airbase in Andaman and Nicobar.
The C-17 continues to be used by the IAF in flood and cyclone relief operations
and humanitarian missions; including in Bihar, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir. In
the Nepal earthquake the C-17s were actively used and in the Yemen evacuation
C-17s were deployed to bring back over 2000 Indians, clocking 150 hours. All
C-17 deliveries were completed in 2014.
In September
2015, the India Ministry of Defence finalized its order with Boeing for
production, training and support of Apache and Chinook helicopters that will
greatly enhance India’s capabilities across a range of military and
humanitarian missions. India will receive 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters
and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.
Boeing
Defense, Space & Security has a proven portfolio of products and services
on offer to India, such as AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, CH-47F Chinook
heavy-lift helicopters, and Harpoon missiles. The Boeing product range extends
to unmanned systems, security solutions, services and support, and
network-centric operations systems.
Industry
Partnerships
As a long-term
strategic partner to India, Boeing is accelerating the development of an
indigenous aerospace and defense ecosystem by contributing to the “Make in
India” initiative. Boeing’s industrial partnership program is focused on
capitalizing on India’s competencies to build a supply-chain capability that
will be globally competitive. This will support aerospace and defense programs
across the Boeing enterprise.
Soon after, the
Indian Prime Minister launched the “Make-in-India” initiative in September
2014, Dynamatic Technolgies and Boeing inaugurated a plant to manufacture
critical parts for the Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopters. In a state-of-the-art
facility with TAL Manufacturing Solutions Ltd, Boeing supports manufacture of
complex floor beams for the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, one of the most advanced
airplanes in the world.TAL also makes ground support equipment for the C-17. 3
Dynamatic Technologies and Tata Advanced Materials Limited
(TAML) have delivered P-8I power and mission equipment cabinets, and TAML is on
contract to provide P-8I auxiliary power unit door fairings and composite
tailcones for the P-8I. Avantel has delivered the mobile satellite systems for
the P-8I and Maini. Hyderabad-based Cyient (formerly Infotech) has supported a
number of critical design-engineering projects for Boeing airplanes, and
currently provides design and stress support on the 747-8 Freighter and the
787-8 and 787-9.
Bharat
Electronics Limited (BEL) has delivered the Indian-designed Data Link II for
the P-8I. Data Link II is a communications system that enables exchange of
tactical data and messages among the Indian Navy aircraft, ships and shore
establishments. BEL has also delivered the identification friend-or-foe
interrogator, a battle management system that enables the aircraft to
distinguish friendly aircraft and forces. Finally, BEL is on contract to
provide F/A-18 flight deck cockpit panels. Electronics Corporation of India
(ECIL) has provided the speech secrecy systems for the P-8I.
Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) was the single-source producer of 757 overwing exit
doors. HAL has also manufactured the 777 uplock boxes, F/A-18 gun bay doors,
F/A-18 wire harnesses, P-8I weapons bay doors, and P-8I identification
friend-or-foe transponders.
Since 1997,
Boeing has worked with India’s premier software development companies —
including HCL, Infosys, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) — on several
projects related to systems re-engineering and development, web enabling,
e-business applications and long-term maintenance. Beyond direct work
placement, Boeing collaborates with Indian industrial suppliers on lean
manufacturing techniques, on program management and supplier management best
practices, and in specialized trainings as part of its drive to bring the best
of Boeing to India.
Recently
Boeing formed a joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to
collaborate in aerospace and defense manufacturing and potential integrated
systems development opportunities, including unmanned aerial vehicles.
Boeing’s
existing industrial partners are raising their bar to deliver world-class
quality, cost-efficiency and productivity as they become an important part of
the company’s worldwide supply-chain for some of the most advanced aircraft in
the world.
Research
& Technology and University Partnerships
Boeing has a
long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation and since 1995 has a
research and development (R&D) presence in India, when collaborative
research in aerodynamics was established with the National Aerospace
Laboratories (NAL) in Bangalore. This has developed into a series of projects
in aerodynamics and advanced analysis methods at NAL, Indian Institute of Science
(IISc) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. 4
In 2005,
Boeing entered into a strategic research partnership with IISc Bangalore. The
Boeing–IISc partnership focuses on research in materials and sciences for
structural alloys, smart materials and structures, process modeling and
simulation. This has contributed to aerospace innovation and advancement of
aircraft design capabilities. IISc is one of only 10 universities worldwide
that has such a special relationship with Boeing.
An evolved partnership
named the Aerospace Network Research Consortium (ANRC), was also set up with
IISc involving other industry partners HCL Technologies and Wipro. This
consortium has conducted research and codeveloped technologies related to
wireless aerospace networks. This involved regular interaction between
researchers in India and Boeing experts in the United States and has resulted
in several doctorate theses and a number of research reports.
In 2009,
Boeing further expanded its R&D footprint in India by establishing the
Boeing R&T India Center, an Indian counterpart of Boeing’s research and
technology organization in the United States. The India facility conducts
research in areas such as flight sciences, materials and processes, and
structures and software with Indian research partners in academia, research
laboratories and industry to address future technical challenges in aerospace.
Also based in
Bangalore, and staffed with modeling and simulation engineers, the Boeing
Strategic Development and Experimentation (SD&E) Center provides defense
experimentation and decision-support services to understand the future needs of
the Indian armed forces.
In
collaboration with IIT Bombay and Department of Science and Technology (DST),
Boeing conceptualized the National Centre for Aerospace Innovation and Research
(NCAIR) in 2009 to support world-class research and manufacturing development
in aerospace with the objective of applying this capability to the aerospace
industry in India.
The work at
NCAIR has led to 20 patents and technology breakthroughs and over 30
specialists have been trained and developed by the NCAIR. Key areas of research
for NCAIR include Modeling & Simulation, where the researchers have
generated new insights on methods to improve efficiency of machining Titanium
and Aluminum alloys. Recently NCAIR inaugurated an Advanced Machining
Excellence Cell on its campus.
Both NCAIR and
ANRC have proven their worth in using technology to spur entrepreneurship and
innovation in India’s aerospace industry to encourage its start-up culture.
Building a
Skilled Aerospace Talent Pipeline
Boeing invests
in an externship program with IITs and other top engineering colleges every
year to select 12 students to work with our industry partner Cyient,
introducing students to world-class aerospace engineering projects and related
best practices, thus resulting in high-tech career paths for talented students.
5
Boeing also
provides funding and opportunity to students at selected universities to work
in teams to design, build and demonstrate advanced concept vehicles such as
autonomous navigation vehicles (at IIT Kanpur), solar-power-assisted airplanes
(at IIT Kharagpur) and nanosatellites (at IIT Bombay).
Boeing
launched a national aeromodeling competition for engineering universities
across India in 2013. This annual competition is now organized in the form of
four zonal events, with a grand finale culminating in Delhi. During the events,
Boeing provides training to students and helps them design, build and fly their
airplanes, encouraging them to take to aerospace careers.
In a recent
effort to address the critical and growing need for skills development in the
Indian aerospace sector, Boeing is partnering with the National Skill
Development Corporation India (NSDC) and the Nettur Technical Training
Foundation (NTTF) to provide vocational training to Indian students and
industry. Boeing-funded curriculums and initiatives have already been launched
along with relevant aerospace partners like Rossell Techys and TAML to train
workers on aerospace relevant skills. Several front-line workers have already
been employed with Boeing suppliers’ after completion of training. This is
helping fill the gap in “industry training” and helps in increasing the
employability skills of prospective candidates resulting in an “All India
council of technical education” (AICTE) accredited “post diploma in aerospace
inter-connect solutions” (PDAIS).
Boeing — A
Responsible Business Leader
As a
responsible business leader, Boeing is committed to improving the quality of
life in the communities where it operates. The company and its employees have
been supporting and continue to be actively involved in various education and
health programs and services in India. A major initiative has been the support
of cancer patients along with CanSupport, an NGO that has been serving the
neglected, under privileged cancer patients and encouraging them to lead a
normal life. Boeing also supports Sulabh International’s initiatives towards
promoting public health and hygiene as part of the “Clean India” mission.
Boeing is also
deeply committed to protecting the global ecosystem. A technology leader, the
company actively supports the production of environmentally progressive
products and services. Boeing is also working with its suppliers and customers
around the world to address 21st century environmental concerns.
Make in India
Together, building the future of aerospace
Boeing is
accelerating its manufacturing, skill development and engineering footprint in
India forging the way towards building a strong and indigenous ecosystem, in
support of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. In recent years it has enhanced its
global aerospace sourcing from India, launched foundation for a joint venture
facility with Tatas in Hyderabad for manufacturing fuselages and aerostructures
for the Apache attack helicopter, built infrastructure like the Nagpur MRO,
partnered with NSDC to skill aerospace workers, and is rapidly scaling up its
advanced engineering center in Bangalore among other significant activities.
When Boeing
looks at advantages across the world in quality, capability and cost, India is
an obvious partner. ‘Make in India’ is not only a government campaign, it is a
core element of Boeing’s business strategy. Therefore, Boeing has accelerated
its pace of investments, capitalizing on the Indian capability and talent.
Boeing’s sourcing from India has doubled in recent years and now stands close
to half a billion dollars a year. By 2020, Boeing expects that sourcing will
increase four times the 2014 level,
Boeing’s long
standing relationship with India involves the concentrated use of Boeing
commercial aircraft, academic partnerships in research & development with
Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
collaborations in manufacturing and sourcing, and building upon Boeing’s large
global supply chain.
As Boeing
continues to strategically invest to add value to its global scale and depth,
the company looks at quality, capability, productivity, and market growth.
India offers tremendous advantages in all these areas. Some of the most
advanced engineered and manufactured aircraft components like the fuselage of
the Chinook helicopter, floor beams for the 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliner and
titanium forgings for the 737 and 777X come from Boeing’s supply chain in
India, comprising more than 30 direct suppliers.
Boeing has
been working with Tata Advanced Materials, Dynamatic Technologies, Bharat
Forge, Bharat Electronics, Tata Advanced Systems, Hindustan Aeronautics, TAL
Manufacturing Solutions, Rossell Techsys, Sasmos etc. illustrating the varied
aerospace capabilities Boeing is helping build in its Indian supply-chain. 2
Skilling India for the future of aerospace
Skilled
workforce in the aerospace sector is the need of the nation as it moves towards
realizing the ‘Make in India’ agenda. To address this critical need for skills
development, Boeing is partnering with the National Skill Development
Corporation India (NSDC) and the Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF) to
provide world-class vocational training to frontline factory workers, and also
offering on-the-job training for them with its industrial partners.
Inspiring
the next generation of aerospace engineers
Being an
aerospace leader, Boeing sees a role inspiring the next generation of
engineering talent in India. Boeing launched a national aero-modeling
competition for engineering universities across India in 2013 to build
real-time machines. The competition now in its third year, teaches young talent
to integrate their classroom lessons across engineering disciplines, into a
fully functional model aircraft. Such practical preparation teaches students to
compete and deliver for the global aerospace industry. More than 670 students
participated in the competition just in 2016. A current priority for Boeing is
to rapidly scale up its advanced engineering center in Bangalore.
Startup
India – fostering entrepreneurship
Evolved
partnerships with academia and industry have resulted in establishing two
research
centers - Aerospace Network Research Consortium (ANRC) at Bangalore
and National
Centre for Aerospace Innovation and Research (NCAIR) with IIT Bombay
in Mumbai.
NCAIR has spurred technology entrepreneurship in aerospace manufacturing for
the industry and encouraged a startup culture in the country. Furthermore,
Boeing has been able to promote cutting-edge research and technology in
wireless networks, developing patents and several research papers at ANRC.
Boeing – a
responsible corporate citizen
As a
responsible business, Boeing is committed to improving the quality of life in
the communities where it operates. The company and its employees are actively
involved in various education and health programs in India. The two major
initiatives include support of cancer patients with CanSupport promoting public
health and hygiene, as part of the ‘Clean India’ mission, with Sulabh
International.
As we continue
to move forward, we see exciting advancements in our relationship that would
enable the Indian aerospace industry to become the economic growth engine, it
aspires to be.
