Dr Kessar has made important contribution in steroidal and heterocyclic chemistry. He has been able to build the whole infrastructure of some solanum alkaloids through a single operation. A number of total syntheses of azasteroids have been accomplished by him using an elegant and original pathway. He has developed a novel method of linking aromatic rings based on an intramolecular reaction between benzene and aromatic ring leading to the direct cyclisation of haloanils of known unfavourable geometry. This synthetic route has been used by him for the synthesis of the phenthridine ring system and several new heterocyclic systems. Using the same cyclisation principle, but with phenoxide activation, he accomplished the synthesis of aporphine and related alkaloids.