New Delhi, 6 Sep

Veteran photojournalist Subash Chander Malhotra died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital here on Saturday. He was 78.

Malhotra, who leaves behind a rich legacy in the world of Indian photojournalism, is survived by his wife, son, daughter and grandson.

He was admitted to the National Heart Institute here on 24 August with acute left ventricular failure, doctors said.

Malhotra joined Press Trust of India (PTI) in 1987 at a time when the agency was expanding its visual news coverage.

He helped create a vast pan-India network of photojournalists that helped establish PTI Photos as a dominant visual wire service.

In his condolence message, PTI's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi said, "Subhash Malhotra leaves an enormous void in the world of photo-journalism. Beyond his professional achievements, he will be remembered for his generosity, humility and incredible friendliness."

"Subhash nurtured and built PTI's photo service, and made it the best in the country. We owe him so much. No amount of praise will do justice to the contribution he made to PTI's growth. We are all devastated by this tragic news," he added.

Malhotra's political assignments spanned across prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi. He also covered mega sports events, including Olympics.

He superannuated from PTI in 2016 as senior photo editor.

Earlier in his career, he worked as a freelance photographer for then president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.