Krishna Kanta Nandi, also known as Kanta Babu,[1] was a banian/commercial agent to Warren Hastings and Sir Francis Sykes, 1st Baronet; and made a fortune working for the East India Company and trading silk.
[4][5] Nandi was born in about 1700 in Cossimbazar in Tilli family from Burdwan District.
[8] He saved Hastings life when he was imprisoned by the Nawab of Bengal Siraj ud-Daulah by helping him escape prison.
[7] Nandi, and other revenue agents of East India company, such as Akrur Dutta, Baranashi Ghosh, Ganga Govind Singh, Gokul Ghoshal, Hidaram Banerjee, Manshur Mukherjee, and Nabakrishna Deb, made a significant fortune working for the company.
[15] The marbles were gained by Hastings in his expedition against Maharaja Chait Singh in which Nandi accompanied him.