From Failures to Global Success: The Jacob Crasta Story | BOSScast 2025

Entrepreneurship is rarely a straight line. More often than not, it begins with failures, detours, and moments where giving up seems easier than moving forward. Few Indian entrepreneurs embody this journey more powerfully than Jacob Crasta, founder and chairman of CM Envirosystems (CME).

Based in Bengaluru, CME designs and manufactures environmental test chambers and simulation equipment that replicate extreme conditions like heat, cold, vibration, and altitude. These climatic chambers are critical for testing equipment in aerospace, defense, automotive, and electronics. From being buried in debt and facing rejection after rejection, Jacob built CME into a trusted global supplier for ISRO, DRDO, and the Indian Army.

In this BOSScast 2025 episode, host Keshav Puri sits down with Jacob to unpack his journey — from his darkest failures to building a world-class enterprise specializing in environmental chambers and test chambers.

Podcast Summary

Q1: Jacob, could you start by telling us about your early struggles in business?

Jacob: My early ventures were riddled with setbacks. I borrowed money, invested in businesses that didn’t work, and ended up with creditors knocking on my door. There were days I had to face people I owed money to without any answers, and that feeling of helplessness was crushing.

Yet, in hindsight, those failures toughened me. They forced me to understand cash flow, taught me humility, and prepared me to survive harder battles. If not for those painful experiences, I wouldn’t have had the resilience to carry CME through its toughest times.

Q2: What inspired you to focus on environmental test chambers?

Jacob: It was partly desperation and partly foresight. Competing in conventional industries against larger companies was a battle I couldn’t win. I needed a niche where innovation mattered more than size or capital. That’s when I discovered the demand for environmental chambers and test chambers.

These climate chambers simulate extreme environments to test products — crucial for aerospace, defense, and automotive industries. Few Indian companies were working in this space, and I saw an opportunity. By founding CME with this focus, I positioned us uniquely in a market where persistence and technical depth gave us an edge.

Q3: Winning ISRO must have been a huge milestone. How did you manage it?

Jacob: ISRO didn’t trust me immediately. They were already working with global vendors and had little reason to believe a small Indian company could match that quality. I faced multiple rejections, endless follow-ups, and skepticism at every turn.

But when we finally got the chance, CME worked tirelessly to deliver. We matched international standards with our climatic test chambers and proved we could deliver on time. That first project was a breakthrough — it didn’t just win ISRO’s trust, it gave us credibility across the industry.

Q4: How did you break into the Indian Army ecosystem?

Jacob: Many people told me not to bother — defence contracts were too tough, too compliance-heavy, and too competitive. But I felt that if we could prove ourselves to ISRO, we could prove ourselves anywhere.

CME started small, delivering custom-built chambers tailored to the Army’s requirements. It wasn’t easy, but once they saw the rugged quality of our environmental test chambers, they gave us a chance. That relationship became a cornerstone for CME, and it showed that persistence and trust matter more than size.

Q5: What about DRDO? How did that relationship come about?

Jacob: DRDO, like ISRO, had stringent quality demands. At first, they viewed us with suspicion, as if we were just another small vendor trying their luck. The only way to win them over was by consistently delivering value.

We showed them that CME could build highly customized climatic chambers and meet tough deadlines. Over time, that earned their trust. Working with DRDO was not just about business — it gave us pride in contributing to India’s defense ecosystem through our environmental test chambers.

Q6: Looking back, how did failure shape your journey?

Jacob: Failure was my greatest teacher. Losing money, losing trust, and facing rejection built a mental toughness that success never could. It gave me humility, persistence, and an understanding that no win comes easy.

If my early businesses had succeeded, I wouldn’t have developed that resilience. Those scars became assets later, when CME faced cash flow crises or client delays. They reminded me to endure, adapt, and keep moving forward.

Q7: What role did cash flow management play in your survival?

Jacob: Cash flow was always our biggest challenge. Clients like ISRO or the Army are reliable but slow to pay, while suppliers and employees expect money on time. That imbalance nearly broke us many times.

I learned to put my employees first — even if it meant skipping my own salary. Cash flow discipline became our lifeline. We grew slowly, but every step was sustainable, and that’s why CME survived where other humidity chamber manufacturers folded.

Q8: Competing globally is tough. How did CME manage it?

Jacob: The secret was mindset. We never saw ourselves as “small.” From day one, I told my team we would benchmark against global standards, not just local ones. Our goal wasn’t to be good enough for India — it was to be world-class in thermal shock chambers and other specialized equipment.

Once we delivered that quality consistently, clients stopped questioning our size. They realized that world-class climatic chambers could come from Bengaluru too. That gave CME the confidence to pursue international markets without hesitation.

Q9: How do you approach innovation at CME?

Jacob: Innovation is at the core of CME. Our clients don’t want generic equipment — they need highly specialized chambers that can simulate exact conditions, from arctic cold to desert heat.

We invested heavily in R&D despite our limited resources. By solving problems others avoided, we built credibility. Innovation wasn’t optional; it was the only way to differentiate ourselves against larger, richer competitors. This approach led us to develop advanced chamber control systems and unique solutions like walk in chambers for larger equipment testing.

Q10: How important has persistence been in your story?

Jacob: Without persistence, CME would not exist. From the first ISRO rejection to chasing unpaid invoices, I had every reason to quit. But each time, I told myself to go back one more time, to knock on the door again.

That stubbornness eventually paid off. Clients respect persistence when it’s backed by competence. In fact, many of our biggest contracts for environmental stress screening equipment happened only because we refused to give up after the first rejection.

Q11: What is your leadership philosophy?

Jacob: For me, leadership means standing with your people during the worst times. When employees saw me negotiating with creditors or skipping my salary to pay them, they knew I wouldn’t abandon them. That built loyalty that no perk can match.

Transparency is also key. I share both successes and failures openly. Employees don’t want sugarcoating — they want honesty. That culture makes them give more than just work hours; they give their heart to the company.

Q12: Did your family play a role in this journey?

Jacob: Absolutely. Without family support, I wouldn’t have survived those early years. Entrepreneurship is lonely, and when business fails, the first to question you are often those closest to you. But I was fortunate — my family backed me even when they didn’t fully understand what I was building with these specialized test chambers.

Their patience gave me the strength to keep going. Knowing that someone believes in you, even when clients don’t, makes a world of difference. Entrepreneurship isn’t an individual journey; it’s a family journey.

Q13: What keeps you motivated after all these years?

Jacob: Purpose. I don’t see CME as just a company; I see it as a platform to prove that Indian businesses can match global standards in complex technologies like altitude test chambers. Each time we deliver a chamber that helps ISRO test satellites or the Army prepare equipment, I feel proud.

That sense of contributing to something bigger than myself keeps me going. Money and recognition are secondary. The real motivation is knowing that CME plays a small part in India’s growth story through our innovative environmental chambers.

Q14: What’s the biggest lesson you’d give young entrepreneurs?

Jacob: Don’t fear failure. It will come, but it won’t destroy you unless you let it. Treat it as tuition fees for the greatest school of all — the school of experience.

Also, find a niche where you can truly differentiate. Don’t waste energy copying others. If I had tried to fight giants in conventional industries, I’d have been crushed. Instead, I found a space where persistence mattered more than scale, and that made all the difference. For us, it was specializing in climatic test chambers and custom solutions like rain test chambers and dust test chambers.

Q15: What’s next for CME and for you personally?

Jacob: For CME, the goal is to expand further globally, continuing to innovate in environmental testing solutions. We want to be known not just as India’s leader but as a global benchmark in climatic chambers and specialized equipment like corrosion test chambers.

Personally, I want to mentor young entrepreneurs — to show them that failure isn’t fatal, that persistence pays, and that India has the talent to compete globally in high-tech manufacturing. If my story can inspire even a handful of founders to push through tough times and innovate in niche areas like environmental stress screening or custom built chambers, I’ll consider it a success.

Important Takeaways

• Failure isn’t the opposite of success — it is its foundation.
• Niches create opportunities: CME thrived by focusing on specialised test chambers.
• Cash flow discipline matters more than flashy growth.
• Persistence opens doors, even against established giants.
• Leadership means trust, transparency, and putting employees first.
• Family support can make or break an entrepreneurial journey.

Watch Full Podcast 🎥

👉 Want to hear Jacob Crasta narrate his incredible journey himself? Watch the full BOSScast episode below

Conclusion

The journey of Jacob Crasta and CM Envirosystems proves that success is not about avoiding failure but about learning from it. From battling creditors and rejections to becoming a trusted partner for ISRO and the Indian Army, Jacob’s story is one of grit, humility, and relentless perseverance in the niche field of environmental test chambers.

The BOSScast reminds us that entrepreneurship is not just about ideas or funding — it’s about resilience, trust, and the courage to keep going when everything seems lost. CME’s rise shows that setbacks may slow you down, but they don’t have to stop you, especially when you’re committed to innovation in specialized areas like climatic chambers and environmental stress screening equipment.