November 30, 2008

Biz Quizzard 244

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 24 - 29. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Sony India, according to a report last week, has renamed Sony World retail stores. What is the new name?

2. Which company has become the first Indian oil company to enter Australia by winning fasttwo offshore petroleum exploration blocks in the northern basins of the country?

3. Which public sector bank last week announced that it has entered into a joint venture agreement with Insurance Australia Group (IAG) of Australia for its proposed foray into the general insurance?

4. Which fast food retail chain last week announced the launch of its new Indian menu ‘Flavours of India’?

5. According to an eBay India census, which is the most wired state in the country with maximum number of online cities?

6. Which well known MNC last week agreed to discontinue a marketing accord with Tiger Woods, the world’s top ranked golfer?

7. Which MNC last week launched its two super premium bikes, Hayabusa and Intruder M1800R, both priced around Rs 12.5 lakhs, in India?

8. Which Indian company last week acquired US-based drug ingredients manufacturer Chattem Chemicals for an undisclosed amount?

9. Which business personality is the Ernst & Young (E&Y) Entrepreneur of the Year?

10. Mumbai-based Fancy Fittings, according to a report last week, has been engaged to make the entire range of clothes for the 2009 collection for which iconic toy brand?

11. Pepsi has launched a new snack with a new campaign to take on ITC’s Mad Angles. What has it been branded as?

12. Lowe India has been renamed again. What will it now be known as?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 244 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 23, 2008

Biz Quizzard 243

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 17 - 22. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which MNC has topped the list of the world’s 100 most accountable firms in terms of their commitment to the society and environment, compiled by US business magazine Fortune?

2. According to a report last week, Mr Anshu Jain has bought a minority stake in Mumbai Indians, the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team owned by Mukesh Ambani. Mr Jain is the head of global markets at which MNC bank?

3. Which milestone did Maruti Suzuki cross for one of its brands last week?

4. Intel last week launched its new family of processors in India. What has it been branded as?

5. Jerry Yang last week decided to step aside as the chief executive of which well known MNC?

6. One of the longest relationships in advertising is coming to an end as PepsiCo is shifting the creative duties of its flagship soft drink, Pepsi-Cola from BBDO Worldwide to another Omnicom agency. Which one?

7. Bharat Hotels last week rebranded itself in the memory of its late founder. Name the brand?

8. Which fast food retail chain has launched a new campaign featuring ace Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan?

9. Which MNC last week named Mark Robinson as its CEO for South Asia?

10. Which jewellery retail chain has, in association with natural diamond manufacturer Mahendra Brothers, launched “Mine”, a brand of diamond studded jewellery in gold and platinum?

11. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘STOP @ NOTHING’?

12. Which MNC last week acquired Mumbai-based medical equipment maker, Meditronics, for an undisclosed amount?

13. Which company last week acquired a 72.15% stake in women’s skin-care company Fem Care Pharma for Rs 203.7 crore?

14. Marcel Hungrebehler is replacing Albert Brunner as the CEO of which aviation entity in India?

15. Mike Duke has been announced as the new chief executive of which well known MNC?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 243 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 16, 2008

Biz Quizzard 242

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 10 - 15. Hope you enjoy it.

1. According to reports last week, Maruti Suzuki is all set to make its entire fleet of cars adhere to ELV specifications by 2010 by doing away with usage of hazardous substances during production of cars and their components. What does ELV stand for?

2. Why was Reckitt Benckiser’s cleaning product ‘Vanish’ in news recently according to reports originating from Madrid? (hint: science and crime)

3. According to a report last week, Punjab Meats Ltd has defaulted to banks and financial institutions. Who owns the company?

4. Which Indian company has decided to acquire Motorola’s software development centre (SDC) in Malaysia?

5. Which microfinance company has raised $75 million (Rs 366 crore) from private equity investors led by Sandstone Capital, in a deal touted to as the largest private equity transaction in the microfinance sector globally?

6. Which Indian pharma company has acquired Etna Biotech, a subsidiary of Dutch biopharma company, Crucell?

7. Japan’s largest mobile operator NTT DoCoMo last week announced the acquisition of a 26% stake in which Indian company?

8. In what is being touted as the sharpest cut ever in the Indian automobile industry, the price of which automobile brand was slashed by Rs 8 lakh?

9. Which city will host the second campus of Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business (ISB)?

10. Who has overtaken NRI steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal as the richest Indian in the world, according to Forbes annual rich list for the country?

11. Which MNC bank last week agreed to acquire leading financial firm Cazenove Asia from JP Morgan Cazenove for an undisclosed sum?

12. What milestone did Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) cross recently?

13. Rupert Murdoch’s STAR has announced a joint venture with Jupiter Entertainment. Who owns the company?

14. The new version of which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘SENSIBLE BHI. CRAZY BHI’.?

15. Who has been named the richest woman in India in the latest Forbes list of richest Indians?

Plesae mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 242 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 9, 2008

Biz Quizzard 241

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 03 - 08. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which IT MNC has launched a ‘Take Your Own Path’ campaign, which celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of India’s business achievers?

2. Which company has launched a new campaign with the baseline ‘Ab Bada Mazza Ayega’? (hint: part of the answer is in the baseline)

3. “Our blue reflects the depth of our integrity and the expanse of our values. Our orange stands for the passion that fuels every venture we undertake. The two arrowheads signify focused diversity and our quest to grow.” Which group advertised this last week?

4. Which airline last week tied up with Disney Publishing, a global publisher of children magazines and books, to provide specially designed in-flight entertainment to children?

5. According to a news snippet last week, which MNC has agreed to take control of South Africa’s telecom firm Vodacom for $2.3 bn?

6. Which company, according to a report last week, will export its first batch of spring mattress to Philippines under the Restoplus brand?

7. Mr JM Garg last week took over as the chairman and managing director of which bank in India?

8. Most of you must have seen the teaser ad and commercial featuring Aamir Khan and Gul Panag for Tata Sky’s new service which allows users to pause, record and rewind live television. What has it been branded as?

9. Which MNC last week said it would acquire smaller rival Sanyo Electric Co?

10. Which MNC last week rolled out its sports car R8 in India, that costs upwards of Rs one crore?

11. Which MNC last week launched its global retail and commercial bank India website in Hindi, becoming the first foreign bank in the country to do so?

12. According to snippet in a weekly news magazine last week, which personality (not a full-fledged celebrity but part of a celebrity family) is designing her own line of bags, shoes and clothes, titled Happy Hippie, which will hit the racks soon?

13. The people of Orissa got a third general entertainment channel (GEC) in Oriya last week. What has it been branded as?

14. Which celebrity was last week roped in by Dabur to endorse two of its products, Dabur Honey and Dabur Chyawanprash?

15. Which advertising group has announced the entry of its second agency, T.A.G., into India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 241 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 2, 2008

Biz Quizzard 240

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week October 27 - November 01. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Global buyout firm TPG is taking control of the consumer retail finance business of which business group in India?

2. What India-specific milestone did Nokia India cross recently?

3. US-based Trans-India Acquisition Corporation, promoted by N Vaghul and Venkatadri Bobba, will be acquiring an 80% stake in Solar Semiconductor Ltd, a Hyderabad-based solar photovoltaic modules maker. Mr Vaghul is the former chairman of which well known company in India?

4. Which company in India last week sold 60% stake in its telecom venture to Norwegian telecom firm Telenor?

5. Microsoft last week released details of the next generation software that will replace Windows Vista. What has it been branded as?

6. Which MNC last week became the world’s biggest company by market value, surpassing Exxon Mobil?

7. Which new drink was launched in Andhra Pradesh last week by Coca-Cola under the Fanta brand umbrella?

8. Victoria Beckham, according to reports last week, will strip for an ad campaign for which international brand for a 12 million pound deal?

9. Which international celebrity has teamed up with her mother Tina for the launch of their latest collection in their fashion range of House of Dereon?

10. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is launching another multi-utility vehicle within the next two months. What has it been branded as?

Please mail your ansers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 240 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli