Madagascar was the scene of the activities of the French East India Company. The French East India Company (French: La Compagnie Fran鏰ise des Indes Orientales or Compagnie Fran鏰ise pour le Commerce des Indes Orientales) was a commercial enterprise; founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India.

Planned by Jean-Baptiste Colbert; it was chartered by King Louis XIV for the purpose of trading in the Eastern Hemisphere. It resulted from the fusion of three earlier companies; the 1660 Compagnie de Chine; the Compagnie d'Orient and Compagnie de Madagascar. The first Director General for the Company was De Faye; who was adjoined two Directors belonging to the two most successful trading organizations at that time: Fran鏾is Caron; who had spent 30 years working for the Dutch East India Company; including more than 20 years in Japan; and Marcara Avanchintz; a powerful Armenian trader from Isfahan; Persia.