History
It all started in 1898 when the CASSAM CHENAI family, like many Indo-Muslims from the province of Gujarat, settled on the island of Madagascar, which had become a French colony three years ago. Ten years later, Mamodaly CASSAM CHENAI opens a store in Diégo-Suarez in the north of the Big Island. The "shop" becomes the essential place of local life and offers all kinds of basic necessities. Eight years later, a branch was created in Majunga in the west of the island.
The activities of the CASSAM CHENAI family do not want to be limited to local trading, so the development of the company takes on a whole new dimension from 1923 with:
- The creation of a rice mill with around 50 employees of multiple origins (Indians, Malagasy, Reunionese, etc.).
- The opening in 1928 of an oil mill and a soap factory also in Diégo Suarez,
It was in 1942 that the SARL Ets CASSAM CHENAI & Fils was born with its head office in the heart of Antananarivo. With a diversification of activities such as: industry, import-export (Vanilla, coffee, clove oil and other tropical products). The CASSAM CHENAI will even be present in leisure activities and will become owners of the cinemas of Diégo-Suarez and Tamatave. They also represented automotive brands such as SEAT, FIAT, CITROEN and the exclusive representation of HYUNDAI without forgetting the management of service stations.
Following the 1972 event and the State policy on the nationalization of semi-private companies, a change of corporate name was necessary and CASSAM CHENAI & FILS ESTABLISHMENT was renamed SOCIETE COMMERCIALE ET INDUSTRIELLE DE MADAGASCAR (S.C.I.M)
