Sri Lanka Memon Family Genealogy

ADMANI - Family #277

The Admani family is well known for the many leading medical men it has produced through time. They originated in 1918, when their founding father, Abdul Latif, son of Mohammed Ali Admani set foot on the island, eventually establishing a small textile business in 3rd Cross Street in the heart of Pettah in the 1920's. He was joined by his eldest son, Abubaker, in 1938 who was a young lad of just ten years at that time. Abubaker was initially employed at A A Sattar & Company, a leading textile Company of that era, and thereafter taken as a partner of the firm in recognition of his sincere efforts and untiring work. In 1960 he established Lucky Industries at Hultsdorf Street Colombo in partnership with Bapu Ali Miya. He eventually became the sole proprietor of A A Sattar & Company and Lucky Industries and thereafter established a business empire of his own. The business soon blossomed into several associate Companies, viz; Vanguard Industries (pvt) Ltd., Vanguard Trading Company (pvt) Ltd., Master Apparels (pvt) Ltd., and Liberty Textiles Exports (pvt) Ltd.

The Lucky Group of Companies went to export garments to the USA, then a very lucrative garment export market. In the early 1990's, when the Sri Lanka Government embarked on its 200 Garment Factory Program, he made sure that more factories were established in various locations, viz; Dehiowita, Yatiyantota & Jaela, not only providing the rural youth with substantial employment, but also generating valuable foreign exchange in the process. Haji Abu Baker was also a well known social worker. He served as the President of the Memon Association of Ceylon from 1969-70 and supervised the shifting of the headquarters from Hultsdorf to Kollupitiya. He also serves as Quazi for the Memon Community in addition to serving as Trustee for the Memon Hanafi Mosque. He was appointed Lanka Sikhamani by the President of Sri Lanka, D B Wijetunge, in 1993. He was also a swron translator from Gujarati to English appointed by the Ministry of Justice.

Dr A A M, Iqbal, the oldest son of Haji Abubaker Admani, secured a scholarship at King Edward Medical College in Lahore and graduated as a doctor. Having completed his internship at the Chest Clinic as a Medical Practitioner in Government Service, he served at the base hospital in Watupitiwela.

In the year 1988, he started his own Medical Clinic at Bambalapitiya and soon built up a lucrative practice serving as a physician for a few five star hotels, seven foreign embassies and some international airlines. He was also a director of several companies including Amana Investments and also served as Trustee of the Devatagaha Mosque. Dr Iqbal traveled extensively and it was during one of sch a sojourn to Europe in April 2000 that he, his father, and two daughters, met with a tragic accident in Baghdad, Iraq, where all of them were killed.

Dr A A M Haroon, the second son of Haji Abubaker, also graduated from King Edward Medical College in Lahore as a doctor. He later joined his older brother Iqbal, and thereafter continued to practice at the clinic serving some of the leading hotels, airlines and embassies. He was the first to obtain the ISO Certification for a medical laboratory in Sri Lanka when he did so for Colombo Medi Lab and Clinic. He is also the Chairman of the family business, The Lucky Group of Companies, and is presently the President of the Memon Association of Sri Lanka.

A A M Iliyas, the third son of Haji Abubaker, joined the faculty of Law of the University of Colombo where he successfully achieved his LLB Degree. He, then, joined the Law College and passed out as an Attorney at Law. He completed his apprenticeship under P Navaratnarajah, QC, in whose Chambers he dwelled for over 12 years and later set up his own practice. He was appointed Special Quazi for the Memon Community in 1993 which office he holds to this day (2006). He is also a Director of the family business.

A A M Yusuf, the fourth son of Haji Abubaker, joined his fathers business while doiung his studies in Chartered Accountancy, and is now fully in charge of the affairs of the Lucky Group of Companies.

haji Ismail Admani, second son of Abdul Latif Admani, started business as a textile broker in The Pettah he went on to establish, with the help of his father, Ismail & Company, a textile shop in Maliban Street, Pettah, in the 1960's. This Company, is now based in Second Street in the Pettah and has since been renamed Ismail Sons (pvt) Ltd., and has expanded its interests to include the import and sale of confectionary. In 1976, he went on to embark on a new industrial venture, Ecotex Industries, with its factory at Modera Street, Mattakuliya, Colombo 15, which manufactures textiles for the domestic market. 

1 Admani

    2  Mohammed Ali Admani

        3  Abdul Latif Admani, came to SL in 1918

            4 Abubaker Admani, b:1910, d:2000, d:2000 in a tragic motor accident in Baghdad, Iraq

                5 A A M Iqbal, Dr, d:2000 in a tragic accident in Baghdad, Iraq

                    6 Mariam Admani, d:2000 in a tragic motor accident in Baghdad, Iraq

                    6 Rukaiya Admani, d:2000 in a tragic motor accident in Baghdad, Iraq

                    6 Shaima Iqbal, studying for her Diploma in Law (2006)

                5 A A M Haroon, Dr + Sharmeen, d/o of Jameela Admani & Hanif Osman Silat

6 Hafsa Haroon, gained admission to the prestigious Fatimah Jinnah Medical College in Lahore to pursue a career in medicine

5 A A M Iliyas

6 Mohammed Siddiq Iliyas, reading for his Business Administration Degree at APPIT

5 A A M Yusuf

5 Fareedah Admani + Hussain Omar Masidiyah

                    6 Shoaib Hussain, Hafiz Al Qur'an from Anjuman Faiz-e-Raza under Quari Hafeez Jamal Ahmed. Pursuing Engineering

            4  Haji Ismail Admani, first arrived in Ceylon in 1947 and settled down at Lascoryn Street, Kotahena, in Colombo where there were a few Memon families living. + Fathima Sayani, daughter of Abdul Karim Sayani

5 Yaseen Admani, went in to his fathers business

5 Idris Admani, went into his fathers business

5 Ariff Admani Dr, chose medicine as a career and did his pre-med at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan before entering North Colombo Medical College in Ragama, Sri Lanka. Transferred to St George's University School of Medicine, Granada, West Indies and graduated in 1992. Moved to NJ State in the USA in 1994 to begin his residency training in internal medicine at St Michaels Medical Center in 1994. Currently practices as a specialist in infectious diseases treating HIV and Hepatitis in Essex County, New Jersey.

5 Irfan Admani, b:1972 in Colombo, chose medicine as a career, graduated at St George's University School of Medicine, Granada, West Indies in 1996 before entering St Michaels Medical Center where he specializes in Cardiology.

            4 Abba Admani

5 Haji Ibrahim Abba

5  Haji SalehMohammed Abba Admani, arrived in Ceylon at a very young age before the partition of the subcontinent. Started business in 3rd Cross Street called Ibrahim Abba & Company with his older brother Ibrahim. The Company was dissolved in the late sixties and thereafter he engaged himself as a distributor of imported goods and textiles and as a commission agent.

                    6 Mansoor Admani

6 Farook Admani, started his own business in Keyzer Street under the name of TEXON Center in 1982 and later became a partner at SILVERTEX which imported textiles and fancy items. In 1998 became a partner of SOLO Tiles, importers of tiles and sanitary ware based at 268 Layards Broadway, Grandpass, Colombo 14.

6 Shabbir Admani

6 Abdul Cader Admani

6 Sideek Admani

            4 Abdul Ghani Admani, textile merchant in Kutiyana + Zuliakha Bhai

5 daughter

5 Haji Ahmed Admani, migrated to Ceylon as a teenager during the partition of India with his elder sisters family. Salesman in a textile shope and later a well known textile broker better known by his pet name of Batchoo Bhai. + d/o Haji Abdul Latif Pardesi, textile merchant from Hambantota, in the southern coast of Ceylon

                    6 Mohammed Farooq Admani, set up his own textile business, HAFYAR ENTERPRISES, which evolved into a well known name for imported suitings. Involved in real estate business

                        7 Farnaz Admani, qualified elocution teacher registered with the Wendy Whatmore Academy and conducts classes at her home.

6 Yoonus Admani

6 Ameen Admani, Involved in real estate business.

6 Rafick Admani

Compiled by the Webmaster of the Sri Lanka Genealogy Website from available data in Sri Lankan archives together with data extracted from "Memons of Sri Lanka" - Men Memoirs Milestones, by Asiff Hussein & Hameed Karim Bhoja, May 2006, iSBN 955-1408-00-4, Published by The Memon Association of Sri Lanka