Nikesh Arora's father passes away

BENGALURU: Father of Nikesh Arora, who stepped down as president and chief operating officer of Japanese telecom and internet major SoftBank last month, has passed away after a prolonged illness.

A retired Indian Air Force officer, AVM Jagdish Kumar Arora had been suffering from ALS and was undergoing treatment at a Gurugram Hospital.

"Dad RIP. U shaped me, nurtured me, spoilt me, challenged me, encouraged me, stood by me, loved & supported me unconditionally. I miss you," Arora tweeted on Thursday evening.

Arora, who was tipped for the top job at Softbank, is one of the most high profile global executives of Indian origin. The former chief business officer at search giant Google won the Global Indian of the Year at the ET Corporate Excellence Awards in 2015.

Arora had dedicated the award to his parents.

"This 26 year old journey would not have been possible without my wife, my sister, my family and many of my special friends in the audience today. But most importantly I would like to thank my parents," said an emotional Arora at awards ceremony in Mumbai earlier this year, adding that his father could not make it as he was suffering from ALS.