Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday expressed grief over the death of IANS Executive Editor Arvind Padmanabhan, describing it as a "huge loss to the media fraternity".

"Saddened by the sudden and untimely demise of veteran and seasoned journalist Arvind Padmanabhan. Huge loss to the media fraternity. May God give strength to his family," Naidu tweeted.

Padmanabhan died of cardiac arrest here early on Wednesday at the Holy Family Hospital. He would have turned 50 next month.
 

He is survived by his mother Shanta, wife Ponna and daughter Tara.

His father was the late G. Padmanabhan, who worked for many years with the Press Institute of India and the Indian & Eastern Newspapers Society (IENS, now INS).