Some founders chase opportunity. Others are guided by a long standing relationship with their craft. For Subhankar Bandyopadhyay, Aerospace startup was never just a profession. It was a commitment shaped early and carried carefully across decades.
An aeronautical engineer by education, Subhankar began his career with the Aeronautical Development Agency, a DRDO organisation, working on the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas programme. It was a formative phase, not only because of the technical complexity involved, but because it offered a firsthand view of how large, high stakes Aerospace startup programmes are built from the ground up.
What followed was a career that moved well beyond national boundaries. Over more than twenty years, he took on global engineering, commercial, and business leadership roles across industries, including senior positions in Fortune 500 companies. His work spanned product and portfolio management from ideation to sunset, giving him a rare end to end view of how businesses evolve over time.
During these years, Subhankar also built a strong reputation as a corporate trainer and learning leader. He worked closely with global leadership teams, helping them articulate and deliver clear value propositions long before the phrase became a boardroom staple. This blend of engineering discipline and business clarity became a defining strength.
Yet, despite diverse roles and global exposure, Aerospace startup remained central to his sense of purpose. A brief move into a global building automation leadership role only reinforced what he already felt. Aerospace was not just an industry he knew well. It was where his passion lived.
That realisation led to the creation of Strap Aerospace (OPC) Private Limited.
Identifying a Quiet but Critical Gap
Strap Aerospace startup was not born out of a single moment. It was shaped over time through conversations, observations, and repeated patterns Subhankar encountered while working with startups, MSMEs, and global strategy teams.
India’s Aerospace startup ecosystem was clearly evolving. Founders had strong ideas, technical depth, and ambition. What many lacked was a clear path to scale. A significant number were dependent on a single defence customer or early stage funding, without a long term strategy for commercialisation or market expansion.
Large strategy consulting firms, while experienced, were often out of reach for smaller organisations. Their offerings were designed for large enterprises and came at a cost that early stage Aerospace startup companies could not justify.
Strap Aerospace positioned itself precisely in this gap.
The intent was to bring globally tested business thinking, strategic clarity, and real leadership experience to Indian Aerospace startup companies at a scale and price point that made sense for them. Rather than offering theoretical frameworks, the focus was on practical strategies grounded in industry realities.
Subhankar’s experience across business leadership, P&L ownership, and capability development helped shape the firm as a niche consulting organisation rather than a general advisory practice.
The Early Test of Credibility
Like most new ventures, Strap Aerospace startup faced its first real challenge around credibility. Global consulting names are familiar and trusted. A new organisation, regardless of the founder’s experience, has to earn confidence one engagement at a time.
The second challenge was access. Finding the right clients, those who genuinely needed strategic support rather than surface level advice, required focused effort and patience.
Instead of spreading itself thin, the firm made a deliberate choice. It began by reconnecting with existing business leaders to validate market assumptions. At the same time, it identified Urban Air Mobility as a niche where strategic thinking would be critical in the coming years.
By concentrating on this emerging segment, Strap Aerospace startup was able to demonstrate value through action rather than positioning. The firm worked closely with leaders in this space, helping them address business challenges while building a reputation based on outcomes.
This focused approach reflected a belief that growth should be logical and measured, not driven by expansion for its own sake.
A Defining Engagement
A major turning point came when Strap Aerospace was engaged by a client working on a first of its kind infrastructure capability for the Urban Air Mobility segment in India.
This project went beyond a standard consulting assignment. It involved collaborating with multiple government agencies, regulators, and industry stakeholders to help define future requirements for a sector still taking shape.
The work resulted in thought leadership white papers and strategic inputs that contributed to shaping industry conversations. For Strap Aerospace startup, this marked a shift from being a participant in the ecosystem to becoming a recognised voice in strategy development within a specialised aerospace domain.
Building on this momentum, the firm began working on capability development initiatives aimed at closing future skill gaps. One such effort includes the development of an AI based advanced modular design framework intended to reduce cost and address fragmented processes that currently exist across the ecosystem.
The focus remains on creating solutions that are relevant, scalable, and forward looking.
Growing With Intent
Today, Strap Aerospace startup operates as a bootstrapped organisation. Its core strength lies in human capital. While the firm collaborates with freelance experts and specialists, it maintains high standards around ethics, culture, and quality of work.
Looking ahead, growth will be gradual and intentional. As credibility deepens, the plan is to build an in house team of consultants, researchers, and coaches. Funding opportunities are being explored, but without compromising independence or long term vision.
Subhankar is clear about the direction. The goal is not rapid scale, but sustained relevance. Strap Aerospace aims to become a trusted niche consulting organisation that plays a meaningful role in shaping the future of India’s aerospace industry.
Advice Rooted in Experience
Entrepreneurship, Subhankar believes, is often misunderstood. It is not a straight path, and it rarely delivers quick wins. Founders must handle everything, from incorporation and funding to hiring, marketing, and business development.
Setbacks are inevitable. Rejection is common. Progress takes time.
Patience and resilience matter more than speed. Success does not come from the first meeting or the first pitch. Each step, even the difficult ones, prepares founders for what lies ahead.
For those willing to stay the course, entrepreneurship offers lessons no classroom can provide.
Founder Connect
To learn more about Subhankar Bandyopadhyay and his work, connect through the links below.
Website: https://strapaero.in
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/subhankarbandyopadhyay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strapaero_11
