December 25, 2011

Biz Quizzard 404

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week December 19 - 24. Hope you enjoy it.

1. What is unique about the Harlequin Mills & Boon book “His Monsoon Bride” by Astha Atray?

2. James Ellington, a top British sprinter desperate to run in his home London Olympics next year, has raised 32,550 pounds in sponsorship through which company?

3. Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, an investor in some of the world's top companies, last week unveiled a $300 million stake purchase in which company?

4. Which Indian BPO company has acquired Australia-based sourcing and category management services firm Portland Group?

5. Which television channel has launched its new brand campaign ‘Always Thinking Markets’?

6. B. A. Prabhakar, Executive Director, Bank of India, has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of which bank?

7. Fast moving consumer goods maker Hindustan Unilever has appointed which former chairman of a public sector bank as an independent director on its board?

8. 10 Indian-origin young turks have been named in a Forbes list of "tomorrows brightest stars" who are "reinventing the world". The list includes a 29-year-old managing director at Goldman Sachs, the youngest managing director the global financial giant has ever seen. Name him?

9. Which company has acquired 100% stake in Mumbai-based Biochem Pharmaceuticals for an undisclosed amount?

10. Which company has joined hands with Bill Gates, Vinod Khosla and Nathan Myrvhold to fund the development of a nuclear reactor with the potential to revolutionise power generation?

11. Which MNC is acquiring the edible oils business of Amrit Banaspati Company (ABC), which owns brands like Gagan, Ginni, Amrit and MerriGold?

12. According to a ranking by London-based magazine Campden FB, which is the world's best Family Business for 2011?

13. Which healthcare company has appointed Vijay Shah as chief executive officer and executive director?

14. Which company has agreed to buy Lufthansa’s British unit BMI for £172.5 million ($270 million)?

15. A song of which well known Indian singer is part of The Date, a new commercial for Heineken beer?

16. Which public sector company last week unveiled its new identity along with new brands raasa, Finlay's and entyce?

17. Which luxury fashion brand has sued the movie 'The Hangover II' alleging that a product featured in the movie is a fake?

18. This is unique recall. The France government is asking about 30,000 customers to immediately stop using which product, saying it could be dangerous?

19. Which Swedish car maker has filed for bankruptcy?

20. Which business personality will be posthumously honoured with a Grammy award for his contribution to music technology?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 404 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

December 18, 2011

Biz Quizzard 403

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week December 12 - 17. Hope you enjoy it.

1. The logistics and supply chain arm of which group has bought the warehousing business of Transmart India for an undisclosed amount?

2. AMRI Hospital in Kolkata was in national news recently for the fire that claimed many lives. It is a joint venture between Shrachi group and which other very well known business group?

3. Shyamala Gopinath, former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India, has joined the global advisory council of which professional services firm?

4. Samsung Electronics has crossed which milestone for mobile handset sales for the first time in the company’s history?

5. STAR India has relaunched its second GEC STAR One in a new avatar. What is it now called?

6. Which company has acquired RightsFlow, a firm that manages royalty payments for songwriters and music publishers, for an undisclosed amount?

7. Which Indian company has entered into a 20-year deal with Sabine Pass Liquefaction, a subsidiary of US-based Cheniere Energy Partners, to import 3.5 million tonnes a year of gas in ships?

8. Which company emerged as the country's biggest in terms of annual revenue as per an annual list of Fortune 500 companies in India?

9. Which company has formed a joint venture with Germany-based Preiss Daimler (PD) Fiber Glass group to manufacture glass fabrics in India?

10. Which company launched a carbon neutral service, whereby customers will be awarded carbon credits for shipments done by the company?

11. Which MNC is ending Andrea Jung's long run as its chief executive?

12. Which well known business personality indicated he is prepared to commit $200 million or more of his wealth to build the world's largest airplane as a mobile platform for launching satellites at low cost?

13. Which MNC’s founding contract was sold at auction for $1.59 million last week?

14. Mangu Singh is the new managing director of which well known entity?

15. In what is believed to be the largest ever corporate grant devoted to the advocacy, intervention and rescue of people being held, forced to work or provide sex against their will, which MNC is donating $11.5 million?

16. Which celebrity has joined online store Babyoye.com as a partner?

17. Which milestone has BMW crossed last week at its manufacturing facility at Sriperumbudur in Chennai?

18. Which brand has topped a study on the social brand value of the world's 50 most valuable brands?

19. Janet Robinson will step down as chief executive of which well known publication company?

20. Which well known NGO will have exclusive stores and shop-in-shops selling a range of merchandise from February, starting with a signature clothing line?

21. Which celebrity has been roped in by Viacom18 as a brand ambassador for its new channel Sonic?

22. Which company has launched an exclusive Manchester United store in Mumbai, the Premier League club's first Manchester United store in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 403 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

December 11, 2011

Biz Quizzard 402

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week December 05 - 10. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Four days after the multinational rolled out a new brand of milk and yogurt, which organization has shot off a legal notice to Nestle over trademark infringement of its dairy brand A+?

2. Which MNC has announced a $3.4 billion cash deal to buy US web-based software company SuccessFactors, joining the scramble among technology firms to offer cloud-computing services to businesses?

3. Which company has revived the singing telegram concept through its latest product?

4. A 14-car crash / pileup recently in Japan made global news. Why?

5. According to a report last week, which hotel has overtaken the iconic Taj as the costliest in Mumbai?

6. Apollo Group Inc, the largest for-profit college in the United States, will enter the lucrative Indian education market by partnering with which media company?

7. Prabha Parameswaran will be the new India managing director for which MNC?

8. Which MNC has appointed Sunil Dutt as its managing director for India?

9. Who will take charge of the $2-billion construction conglomerate SP Group?

10. Which company has acquired the Hong Kong-based jewellery company Crown Aim for an undisclosed amount?

11. Which MNC has acquired location-sharing service Gowalla?

12. Which company has launched a dialysis centre chain under a new brand Renkare?

13. Google has released a magazine reading application for smartphones or tablet computers powered by Android or Apple software. What has it been branded as?

14. In a new consumer-outreach initiative, which company has chosen 12 hitherto unknown children to be its brand ambassadors?

15. Which Indian institute has been ranked second in the list of top business schools from which Asia-Pacific employers most prefer to recruit executives?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 402 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

December 4, 2011

Biz Quizzard 401

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 28 - December 03. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which brand has launched a 75-second television commercial 'Har maa ke dil mein' to cut through the clutter of consumer product advertising?

2. Which company has announced it will launch 60 exclusive stores, called Beauty Zones, to hawk its products?

3. Auto major Daimler has decided to drop which super-luxury brand?

4. Which MNC is aiming to transform its image with the launch of the ‘86 Sports Coupe’?

5. The leadership institute of which Indian company will now sell its exclusive leadership content and services to other companies?

6. The Delhi high court has passed a decree restraining Shipra Laboratories from selling or advertising soap or any other product under the Safeguard brand. Which MNC owns the trademark?

7. Which company has launched its cruiser bike Intruder M800 in India?

8. Which company is running a teaser digital campaign called The Hunt for the True Snexy - India's First Reality Snack Show?

9. Which business personality is among the five Indians who figure in Foreign Policy magazine's prestigious list of Top 100 Global Thinkers?

10. Which MNC has filed a patent for covering a computer system that can monitor the behaviour of employees while also assigning positive or negative scores to each action?

11. Who is the Business Standard Banker of the Year for 2010-2011?

12. The world's largest selling drug went off patent in the United States on November 30. Name it?

13. AMR Corp filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York court last week. The company owns which airline?

14. Which MNC will launch the iconic Porsche sports car marquee in India next year?

15. Which milestone has Bharti Airtel crossed in the African market?

16. Which company has named B Sai Kumar as its Group CEO?

17. Which MNC will launch Sonic, its fifth television channel in India?

18. Which conglomerate said it would buy the Omaha World-Herald, the hometown newspaper of its founder?

19. Who has been named the European investment banker of the year?

20. Which bank has launched a premium bouquet of credit cards for women, called ‘Solitare Premium' and ‘Solitare'?

21. Which business group has been ranked 4th in the world and 1st in Asia-Pacific in the 'Top Companies for Leaders' study by AON Hewitt, The RBL Group and Fortune?

22. Ferrari recently unveiled its official biography - The Ferrari Official Opus - Enzo Diamante – in India. What is the book’s claim to fame?

23. PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) has filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court against which 3 companies for using bullock-carts to transport its products?

24. Nestle recently unveiled its new brand of milk and yoghurt in India. Name it?

25. Vinay Pathak is seen as Subbu in the ‘Subbu sab janta hai’ campaign (TVC currently on air) of which company?

26. After languishing for almost a decade, the century-old textile brand of Mafatlal is making a comeback by re-branding itself. What is the new brand?

27. A rare and pristine copy of the first issue of Action Comics, famed for the first appearance of Superman, set which new record last week?

28. Which company has become India's top-ranked company for research and development (R&D), as per a list compiled by the European Commission?

29. AK Garg, director, HR, BSNL, has been appointed CMD of which company?

30. Tom Glocer is stepping down as the chief executive of which news and information company?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 401 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 27, 2011

Biz Quizzard 400



Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 21 - 26. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Eight Indians have made it to Thinkers 50 - a bi-annual global ranking of 50 most influential thinkers. Which Indian chief executive is ranked at 40 in this list?

2. Which MNC has announced plans to launch a $1 shoe in India?

3. Which company in the financial sector is running a campaign with the baseline ‘Changing Rules. Changing Lives.’?

4. Which watch maker has teamed with ace designer Tarun Tahiliani to come up with two new exclusive ranges targeted at women customers?

5. Which NRI tycoon recently sold a stately home in north London’s Regent’s Park for £120 million, the highest figure ever paid in the UK for a single private residence?

6. Which MNC is facing angry comments on the social networking media for pricing its latest product costlier in India than anywhere else in the world?

7. Which airport has superseded Mumbai as the busiest in the country?

8. Which MNC has topped the Thomson Reuters Top 100 Global Innovators 2011 list?

9. Which tobacco giant last week launched legal action against Australian laws forcing tobacco products to be sold in drab, plain packaging from late next year?

10. Which beverage brand is commemorating its silver jubilee with a new campaign ‘Soch Badlo'?

11. Which stock exchange last week said it will merge with Osaka Securities Exchange Co Ltd (OSE) to create world's No.3 exchange?

12. Which well known business personality has launched a mobile application, titled JaxtrSMS, which allows users to send text messages for free?

13. Which company last week released an ad in the print media celebrating 100 million customers?

14. Cigna, one of America’s largest health insurers, has entered into a joint venture agreement with which business group to sell covers to the middle-class in India through a direct distribution model?

15. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will shortly issue Rs 100 notes of the Mahatma Gandhi-2005 Series. What will be the additional feature?

16. Which well known maverick business personality has estimated the brand value of his name to be worth $3 billion?

17. Which company has joined hands with Healthfore (a division of Religare Technologies Ltd), and with Fortis Hospitals as knowledge partner, to launch Mediphone to provide timely medical advice to people living in rural, semi urban and even urban areas in Northern region?

18. Vikram Akula has stepped down as the executive chairman and director from the board of directors of which company?

19. Which four-decade old Indian company has launched a Hollywood-based production and financing company, which will produce international content?

20. Who will succeed Ratan Tata as chairman of the $83-billion (over Rs 4.30 lakh crore) Tata group?

21. Which company is claiming a category breakthrough in advertising: the world’s first Runway Musical?

22. Which bottled water major is planning to set up its own exclusive retail outlets in India as it looks to counter shopkeepers pushing rival brands?

23. Which country has surpassed the US to become world's largest smartphone market by volume in Q3?

24. Which company has launched two low-cost smartphone models as part of its strategy to boost usage of third-generation (3G) data services in the country?

25. A new train called Vivek Express was flagged off recently. What is its claim to fame?

26. Which actress has been roped in as the brand ambassador for jewellery manufacturer Gitanjali Group’s new brand, Gdivas?

27. The 7.7% stake in Walt Disney of which well known business personality, the biggest shareholder of the company, has been transferred to a trust led by Laurene Powell?

28. German luxury car maker BMW last week launched its pre-owned car business in India. What has it been branded as?

29. Who has been named UK's 'most powerful Asian’?

30. Neuland Laboratories, Birla Pacific Medspa and Fineotex Chemical were in the news recently because of which celebrity investor?

31. Four former corporate leaders - Ravi Kiran, Suhail Kazmi , Sanjay Barkataki and Subodh Srivastav - last week announced a new startup focused on businesses in tier -II and tier - III towns. What is it called?

32. Which insurance company has launched a new brand campaign, 'The one thing I have learnt'?

33. For which brand has RK Swamy BBDO created a new campaign titled 'Your Time, Your Place, Your Moods' for the International markets?

34. Which company has launched a new on-ground campaign, 'Travel-O-Dance' as an extension to its 360 degree marketing campaign, 'Creating Happy Travellers'?

35. Which brand released an ad in the print medium on 26/11 to celebrate the 90th birthday of its founder?

36. Which insurance company is advertising on television (TVC currently on air) with the positioning ‘Future guaranteed’?

37. Prachi Desai and Farhan Akhtar can be seen in the television commercial (currently on air) for which water purifier brand?

38. Staying with Prachi Desai, the actor is endorsing which shampoo brand (TVC currently on air)?

39. Which south-based English daily is set to launch its Delhi edition on December 11?

40. Model and actor Nargis Fakhri is endorsing the women’s line of which apparel brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 400 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 20, 2011

Biz Quizzard 399

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 14 - 19. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which MNC group’s yacht making firm Princess has announced its formal entry into India and is aiming to sell up to five luxury boats in the next year?

2. ITC Hotels has rebranded the 140-key Chola Sheraton property in Chennai. What is it now known as?

3. Which well known chain in India has launched its international brand Espression in the country?

4. Experimenter gallery in Kolkata’s Gariahat area is playing host to an exhibition called “Two Stages of Invention” by artists collective CAMP (Critical Art & Media Practices). The exhibition is based on which event/ expose that had raised a furore in the nation? (this is still a business quiz)

5. Which well known Ayurveda consumer products company is celebrating its diamond jubilee year?

6. Business and numerology. Which bank launched 11 new branches on 11.11.11?

7. Which company is advertising its iTube TV (television commercial currently on air)?

8. Which company, in partnership with The Times of India, has created a new Guinness World Record for “most blood glucose level tests conducted within eight hours”?

9. Which automobile MNC has appointed Lowell Paddock as president and managing director of its India operations, effective January 1, 2012?

10. The daughter of which celebrity couple has joined US network NBC News as a special correspondent?

11. The promoters of which well known business group have formed a joint venture with global investment banking firm Espirito Santo Investment Bank (ESIB) for equity research brokerage businesses in India?

12. The board of directors of which MNC bank has confirmed Sergio Ermotti as chief executive officer, less than two months after he replaced Oswald Gruebel on an interim basis?

13. Which bank has unveiled ‘breeze banking’ services in India to allow clients to customise banking services using the internet, smartphone technology and social media?

14. In which city has LinkedIn Corp opened a research and development center, the professional social-networking site's first such office outside North America?

15. Which company will acquire heritage Swiss watch brand Favre Leuba for euro 2 million?

16. Percept/H has launched a campaign ‘Jawab hum denge’ for which client?

17. Which brand last week grabbed global attention with its new campaign “Unhate”, a series of six images showing world leaders, including Obama and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, in a mouth-to-mouth kiss?

18. Which company last week launched its mid-sized sedan, Rapid in India?

19. Belgium has conferred the “Commandeur of the Order of Leopold II”, one of the country’s highest civilian distinctions, on which Indian business personality?

20. Purti sugar mills plans to increase crushing capacity of its three sugar mills by 2,000 tonnes crushed per day (tcd) to 8,500 tcd next year. The company is led by which well known political personality?

21. Which business group has formed a joint venture with Telephonics, a unit of US-based diversified Griffon Corporation, to provide surveillance and communication devices to the Indian defence sector as well as for civilian use?

22. Which actor is featured in the print ad for Franco Leone shoes?

23. Which pharmaceutical firm will acquire Japan’s I’rom Pharmaceutical Co for an undisclosed sum as it looks to expand footprint in the country?

24. Which well known retail chain is going for an image makeover with a new logo and tagline ‘Naye India ka Bazaar’?

25. Online retailer Exclusively.in has launched shersingh.com, a contemporary range of apparel for men and women, with which cricketer as brand ambassador and investor?

26. The British government’s treasury department has decided to sell state-owned Northern Rock bank to which well known business group for £747 million?

27. Mountain Dew, Kurkure, Coke and Kinley have crossed what milestone this year?

28. Which company has launched a new jewellery brand, Mia, targeted at working women?

29. Who has been named '2011 Businessperson of the Year' by Fortune magazine?

30. Which company has acquired the rights to the Chetan Bhagat’s Revolution 2020, to be made in to a major motion picture?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 399 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 14, 2011

Biz Quizzard 398

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 07 - 12. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company has been ranked the country’s best company for investor-relations practices in the first-ever such ranking for India, compiled by Investor Relations Global Rankings?

2. Which company has struck an agreement with Claire’s Stores Inc, one of the world’s leading fashion jewellery and accessories retailers, to bring the brand to India?

3. Who has been appointed to the board of Warwick Business School, becoming the first Indian to be a part of the well-known British institution's board?

4. Sales of German-made Lunor Classic Rund PP have increased dramatically recently. Why?

5. According to the latest report of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), what important milestone did India cross in September?

6. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) last week announced its entry in the breakfast space with the launch of oats under which brand?

7. Channels will go to press conference only if invited, story not to run on breaking news band, no astrology show to be done on this issue and the duration of story to be around a minute/90 seconds. These guidelines circulated by the Broadcast Editors’ Association are for which event?

8. Which well known sanitaryware brand has donned a new logo, the first time since its launch 31 years ago?

9. Manisha Girotra has quit as managing director and chairperson of the Indian operations of which MNC bank?

10. Which company has become the first corporate to set up a subsidiary that will run schools across the country?

11. Crane manufacturing company Anupam Industries has formed a new joint venture with which well known Japanese company to manufacture port cranes and material handling equipment for domestic and global markets?

12. Haresh Chawla has quit as the group chief executive officer of which media entity?

13. Rajesh Jejurikar has quit as the CEO of the automotive division of which company?

14. Which US-based consumer durables firm last week announced its entry into the Indian home appliances market?

15. Who has been named as the most powerful woman in Indian business according to Fortune magazine?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 398 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 6, 2011

Biz Quizzard 397

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week October 31 - November 05. Hope you enjoy it.

1. US advertising giant Omnicom has sealed a deal to gain control of which Indian advertising agency?

2. French car maker Renault unveiled its third passenger car for the Indian market. What has it been branded as?

3. Which company last week inducted Nita Ambani on its board?

4. According to a report, the maiden flight of ‘Phantom Eye’, a drone that can stay in air for 4 days, is just days away. Which company is behind Phantom Eye?

5. Which global sport-lifestyle brand has roped in cricketer Yuvraj Singh as its new brand ambassador?

6. Which MNC has appointed Harish Kohli as the new managing director of its India operations?

7. Philippines-based SPi Global is set to acquire Laserwords, a BPO focused on publishing industry. Which Indian group owns Laserwords?

8. Forbes last week unveiled its list of the world's most powerful people in 2011. Who, ranked at no. 5, is the first corporate executive on the list?

9. Frenny Bawa has resigned as the managing director for Indian operations of which MNC?

10. Which business group has decided to establish eight malls, named “Mall of Joy”, in the next 30 months at a cost of Rs 1000 crores?

11. Which company will take a majority control in the joint venture that is proposed to be carved out of the two-wheeler business of Mahabharat Motors Manufacturing Company (MMMC)?

12. Which company has secured a relief from the Delhi High Court which restrained a local garment manufacturer, Lodha Garments, from promoting its apparel under the phonetically identical trademark?

13. Which skincare brand has roped in Madhuri Dixit as the brand ambassador?

14. Which celebrity has become the Mumbai franchise owner for the all new motorsport racing league i1 Super Series?

15. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India has launched the cheapest and smallest in the Range Rover series of SUVs. What has it been branded as?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 397 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

October 31, 2011

Biz Quizzard 396

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

1. Gaurav Burman, a member of the family that owns consumer goods maker Dabur India, is buying minority stake in Team Lotus, a Formula 1 team. Which international business personality owns Lotus?

2. Which company has roped in F1 driver Karan Chandhok as brand ambassador of its Montra range of cycles?

3. The latest ad for which smartphone brand promotes the concept of 'finger talking'?

4. Which brand has rolled out its latest campaign (TVC currently on air) 'Adios Stressing. Hello Friday Dressing'?

5. Which lubricant maker has acquired the global rights of Veedol brand from BP Plc?

6. The Delhi High Court has barred UP-based Ramkumar Jewellers from using the brand name of which celebrity couple?

7. Sony Corporation last week announced that it will be acquiring 100% stake in which 50:50 joint venture?

8. In a first-of-its-kind credit to India’s growing technological prowess, Mumbai-based firm Prime Focus features on the poster of which well-known Hollywood film, to be released in the 3D format?

9. Which MNC has bought over London-based HIT Entertainment for $680 million?

10. Virginia Rometty will takeover as the CEO of which MNC on January 1?

11. Who has retained his position as the world’s richest Indian with a net worth of USD 22.6 billion, as per the Forbes India annual rich list?

12. Which business group is set to enter the luxury car business and will drive the India plans of British niche sports carmaker Caterham Cars?

13. Nokia Oyj last week introduced its first handsets powered by Microsoft Corp’s Windows Phone software. What has the range been branded as?

14. The newly-formed Family Office of which Indian business group has kicked off its first business initiative with a joint venture with UK’s PizzaExpress?

15. Which company has launched the world's first jewellery vending machine?

16. Which MNC has agreed to buy RightNow Technologies for about $1.5 billion to expand its offering of internet-based services?

17. The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has announced a $250,000 prize money tournament in March 2012. Which brand is the title sponsor?

18. Which broadcaster has announced it is launching India's widest TV show, to be telecast in eight languages?

19. Which former cricketer will be joining as the Director of Kolkata-based SPS Group effective November 1?

20. Which MNC has signed a definitive agreement with B&G Foods of the US to sell its Culver Speciality Brands division for $325 million?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 396 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

October 23, 2011

Biz Quizzard 395

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

1. Hero MotoCorp will soon start selling the first bike under the ‘Hero’ badge. What has it been branded as?

2. Tata Motors last week celebrated the silver jubilee of which highly successful commercial vehicle?

3. PepsiCo India is re-launching which beverage brand in Mumbai seven years after stopping its sales?

4. Which business group has roped in some of the major corporate entities into the WOW (wealth from waste) initiative?

5. Which business group has announced its entry into the rural wholesale and distribution business with the opening of its first ‘Aadhaar Wholesale’ store in Gujarat?

6. Which Indian business personality has been conferred with the Swiss Ambassador's 'Exceptional Leadership Award’?

7. Which fans brand/company has forayed into domestic appliances business with its new avatar Actus?

8. Which auto major is developing a mini sports utility vehicle (SUV), code-named the S101?

9. Saina Nehwal is the featuring in the television commercial of which well known personal hygiene brand?

10. Which MNC has launched its new campaign 'Khushiyan baatne se hi badhti hain’?

11. Which company last week announced a joint venture with Japan’s internet company SoftBank to focus on mobile internet services in India?

12. Which business group has roped in Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu to endorse its new lip care range, including lip moisturiser, Vasocare?

13. FC Barcelona, the Spanish football club, has named which celebrity as its Indian brand ambassador?

14. Which group has roped in Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan as the brand ambassador for its 'Nizam Collection'?

15. Which consumer products giant has announced the launch of a collection of online and mobile mini games called crazieRBrands?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 395 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

October 17, 2011

Biz Quizzard 394

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

1. Which MNC has launched a milk-based fortified dessert called Fundooz in India?

2. Which Chennai-centric English channel has been bought over by the Educational Trustee Company, promoters of Dina Thanthi?

3. What milestone has MRF crossed recently in terms of revenue?

4. Which MNC recently launched ‘Touch Mouse' in India, that it said “makes everyday tasks more fluid and intuitive by using natural gestures instead of clicks”?

5. I really liked this campaign. Which company has featured Aruna Anand, wife of chess maestro Viswanathan Anand, in its campaign with the positioning ‘Your dreams are not yours alone’?

6. Which MNC has sold its 12% stake in Consim, the company that owns the online matchmaking portal bharatmatrimony.com?

7. Which well known MNC has unveiled a partnership with Facebook Inc to help connect customers with its local stores?

8. Which business group has picked up a 42.5% stake in Force India, the Formula One team co-owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, for $100 million?

9. Which brand is being promoted as a 'Caaaar', and not just a car?

10. Which brand has launched color diapers for the first time in India?

11. Which MNC will celebrate '3 stars' – each a symbol of Team India’s World championship victories?

12. Which movie is the most pirated in Hollywood history, according to a study released by TorrentFreak?

13. Which company has acquired majority stake in the UK-based women wear retailer EAST?

14. Which company has divested its entire stake in the US-based subsidiary, Element K Corporation, to SkillSoft Corporation for $110 million?

15. Which chocolate company has officially broken the record for world's largest chocolate bar, created in honour of its 100th birthday?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 394 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

October 9, 2011

Biz Quizzard 393

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

1. Which company has entered the premium water purifier market with its brand Marvella?

2. After establishing its new brand 'Live' for men in the premium leisure wear segment, which MNC now plans to take the offering to women?

3. Which company is looking to expand operations of its bowling alley arm, BluO, across cities like Bangalore, Pune, Chennai and Mumbai?

4. Nestle last week screened a 23-second television commercial of its Beneful brand for the first time in Austria. What is unique about it?

5. Which state has been declared as the first 'total banking state' in India successfully completing the campaign for total financial inclusion plan (FIP) ensuring banking facility to all families?

6. Which country became the first in the world to impose a fat tax to limit the population’s intake of fatty foods?

7. Sudhir Vasudeva is the new CMD of which organization?

8. Which MNC has been ranked the world's most attractive employer by management and engineering graduates, according to the survey conducted by global employer branding firm Universum?

9. Which brand is the most valuable in the world, according to a report by Interbrand?

10. The ET Awards for Corporate Excellence 2010 – 2011 were announced last week. Who is the Business Leader for the year?

11. Why was the S600L Pullman model of Mercedes Benz in news in India last week?

12. Which portal last week launched a professional networking application ‘BeKnown’ for Facebook users?

13. Karisma Kapoor has been appointed as the new brand ambassador for which anti ageing skincare product?

14. The Government of India last week launched the world’s cheapest tablet computer. What has it been branded as?

15. Which business group has launched a toy store, Beanstalk, in Bengaluru?

16. A few weeks ago, a plush 21-storey building in the commercial district of Nairobi was sold to the World Bank for nearly $23 million (approx. Rs 115 crore), making it the largest single property deal in East Africa. Who is the seller?

17. In what could be the biggest deal so far in India's online gaming sector, which MNC has acquired all the equity in UTV's Indiagames for an estimated $80-100 million (Rs 390-490 crore)?

18. Katrina Kaif has been roped in as the brand ambassador for which watch brand?

19. Which auto major has associated with the world-renowned fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh for a limited edition of its sedan range?

20. The University of Texas in USA has named its School of Management after which Indian business and political personality?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 393 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

October 2, 2011

Biz Quizzard 392

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week September 26 - October 01. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Boeing last week handed over the first unit of its long-awaited 787 Dreamliner. Which airline?

2. Oswald Gruebel has resigned as the CEO of which MNC bank?

3. Which MNC has released its new campaign in India, ‘Survive the World’?

4. Goldman Sachs has invested Rs 1,000 crore to acquire majority stake in a renewable energy startup, ReNew Wind Power. The company has been founded by the son of which well known political personality?

5. Which brand has rolled out a new ad campaign that carries the message 'Stay Protected'?

6. Which telecom company has signed on actress Anushka Sharma as a brand ambassador?

7. Which MNC last week forayed into the intensely competitive compact car segment in India with Brio, a premium hatchback?

8. Which Nasdaq-listed IT firm has acquired Zaffera, a SAP retail consulting and software development firm based in Princeton, New Jersey for an undisclosed value?

9. The Economic Times Brand Equity’s Most Trusted Brands List 2011 was released last week. Which brand has reclaimed the No.1 position after four years?

10. Shah Rukh Khan recently featured in the print ad for the “world’s largest selling shaving cream brand”. Name it?

11. Which well known personality has been elected as the chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2011-2012?

12. Kaspersky Lab, a developer of secure content and threat management solutions, has appointed which celebrity as the company's brand ambassador beginning October?

13. Which Indian company has acquired UK-based digital agency Skinkers for an undisclosed amount?

14. McDonald’s is launching a national campaign for its newly launched ice-cream brand. Name it?

15. Which MNC has filed a suit in South Korea, seeking a ban on the sale of BMW and Audi cars, saying they use lighting products made by Siemens unit Osram that infringe its patents?

16. Kingfisher Airlines has decided to ground which brand?

17. Which global luxury brand opened its first museum in a Florentine palazzo last week, 90 years after its founder started a family leather goods business inspired by English aristocrats?

18. Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer, last week took aim at Apple’s bestselling iPad with the unveiling of a device that’s smaller and less than half the price. What has it been branded as?

19. Which brand / group is Shah Rukh Khan’s maiden endorsement in the world of jewellery?

20. Which brand will be the official partner of Switzerland-headquartered Sauber F1 team at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which is slated to be flagged off from October 28?

21. Which MNC is embarking on a global branding and advertising blitz, with the new-old tag line, ‘To fly. To serve.’?

22. Steve Yang has resigned as the CEO of which automobile MNC for personal reasons?

23. Which MNC is rolling out Rowson's Reserve, a new brand of Indian grain whiskey that is combined with scotch and aged locally in American oak barrels, in October?

24. Which company last week announced the launch of two leisure bikes, Classic Chrome and Desert Storm?

25. AR Rahman features in the print ad of which acoustics brand with the baseline ‘Hear the truth’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 392 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 25, 2011

Biz Quizzard 391

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week September 19 - 24. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Hyundai India’s entry level small car will be launched very soon. What has it been branded as?

2. Which apparel brand launched its largest store and a new retail identity in Delhi last week and is all set to launch a new television commercial as well as print ads featuring John Abraham?

3. A full page ad was released for C-NM5 last week. What is C-NM5?

4. Which business group has joined hands with the Himachal Pradesh Government for a strategic partnership to promote ‘Brand Himachal', aimed at developing various source-to-market initiatives and facilitate for creating livelihood for over 25,000 families in the State?

5. Which bank has launched MyDesign debit cards, which allow a customer to include a personal image on the card?

6. Which MNC has tied up with Symbiosis International University as part of its continuous effort to promote education among its employees and provide them with “skills for life”?

7. Which Indian hospital chain owner will acquire its Singapore-based sister firm in an all-cash deal to consolidate the group’s health businesses under one entity?

8. Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies has roped in which celebrity as brand associate in India for its devices such as smart phones and tablets?

9. Which Indian business personality has been ranked ninth in the 2011 Leader Rep-Trak, which assesses the reputations of the world’s 54 most visible public figures in politics, business, culture and sports?

10. Which MNC last week launched its mid-size sedan Sunny in India?

11. Which business personality is setting up a not-for-profit organisation called TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India) and TRRAIN Foundation to train and provide financial products to front-end staff in the retail sector?

12. According to a survey by realty consultant Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), which is the most expensive retail destination in India during 2011?

13. I have covered this earlier when the plan was announced. Which company last week unveiled the world’s first pure gold jewellery car, to celebrate 5,000 years of Indian jewellery?

14. Which MNC has agreed to buy Australia’s biggest brewer Foster’s Group for A$9.9 billion ($10.2 billion)?

15. The Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (FURHHDL) has objected use of the tagline ‘The only truth is Dalai’ on which personality’s proposed range of T-shirts and coffee mugs?

16. Which automobile MNC has unveiled the ‘Art Edition' of its brand, as part of a partnership with art auction house Saffronart for promotion of arts in the country?

17. After cars, its books now. Which publishing house has been forced to recall copies of Imran Khan’s latest book Pakistan: A Personal History that it has distributed in India?

18. Which company has launched its thematic brand campaign for the mother brand after a gap of 10 years with the premise 'Apna Rang Chhalakne Do'?

19. Mercator Lines, the country’s second largest shipping company, has renamed itself. What will it be called?

20. Had covered this earlier when the discussions started. Which company has agreed to buy Sumitomo Metal Industries for 726.5 billion yen, or $9.5 billion combining to become the world’s second largest steel manufacturer?

21. Which MNC last week appointed former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman as its new president and CEO?

22. Which iconic brand will be launched in India by BMW?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com wth Biz Quizzard 391 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 18, 2011

Biz Quizzard 390

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week September 12 - 17. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which Indian company last week said it has received a five-star rating under a health and safety audit by the British Safety Council of its onshore plant at Gadimoga, in Andhra Pradesh?

2. Which celebrity has been signed on by ESPN Star Sports as the new face for the Nokia Champions League Twenty20 (NCL T20)?

3. Which MNC last week unveiled ArcSight Express 3.0, a new range of new computer-security software?

4. Which company has agreed to buy NetLogic Microsystems for about $3.7 billion to extend its range of chip-making technology for more advanced networks?

5. Rajkot-based Ban Labs Limited (Ban), an ayurvedic healthcare and cosmetics firm, is launching its own brand of perfume titled 'Signature'. What are the 12 different flavours based on?

6. In the first public-private participation in the defence sector, which company has entered into a joint venture with Mazagon Dock to build warships for the Indian Navy?

7. Which milestone has Twitter crossed recently?

8. Which healthcare firm has announced the appointment of Eng Aik Meng, former president of container shipping firm APL, as its chief operating officer?

9. Which MNC has unveiled its bizarre new concept car ‘Spyder’ at the Frankfurt International Motor Show?

10. Gulf Oil Corporation has signed on which celebrity as the brand ambassador for its lubricant brand Gulf?

11. Which auto MNC said its new compact car MissionL will be launched in the domestic market by the end of the year?

12. Pervez Ahmed has quit as the chief executive and managing director of which healthcare chain?

13. Which well known healthcare brand has unveiled a new identity comprising a new logo, a new tagline, 'Pure Healthy Essence', and a different packaging?

14. United Breweries has announced the launch of locally brewed and bottled beer of which iconic brand from their brewery in Taloja, near Mumbai?

15. Which MNC has acquired the U.S.-based $200 million revenue networking company Force 10 Networks?

16. Which is the only Indian brand in the Top 100 list released by Brand Finance this month?

17. Which NYSE-listed technology solutions provider has acquired Hyderabad-based software testing company AppLabs for an undisclosed amount?

18. Which hospitality group has sold its 100-year-old hotel property at Gopalpur on Sea in Orissa to Mayfair Hotels and Resorts, a local hospitality company owned by former cabinet minister and industrialist Dilip Ray, for Rs 10 crore?

19. Which MNC and Jain Irrigation last week launched Project ‘Unnati', a unique partnership with farmers to demonstrate and enable adoption of ultra-high density plantation (UHDP) practice for mango cultivation?

20. Which iconic brand, known for its bold campaign featuring Pooja Bedi and Marc Robinson, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year?

21. Which business personality has restructured his aerospace and defence business by merging three group companies into a single Rs 500-crore-plus Axis Aerospace & Technologies?

22. Which company along with Standard Chartered Bank and MasterCard Worldwide last week announced commercial launch of the world’s first virtual card, PayOnline, in Kenya?

23. Which well known international fashion brand has tied up with Diamond Footcare, a footwear company, to launch its footwear collection for men in India?

24. According to a survey published in the UK by the Department of Health, which cartoon has been named as the healthiest cartoon, based on the amount of physical activity undertaken by the character?

25. Which business personality has tied up with Damodar Threads to launch a range of cosmetics and health remedy products based on Vedic concept Panchagavya under ‘Calves & Leaves’ brand exclusively at his discounted retail format?

26. Which bank last week became the first from China to start operations in India?

27. Which MNC has launched a global campaign that touts the company as the "International Specialists" who operate at "the speed of yellow"?

28. The 29-year-old son of which business personality has started his own venture ‘Soap Opera N More’ to sell handmade soaps?

29. Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing has signed an agreement with which organization to sell “Chotukool”, a low cost cooling solution, through its network?

30. Why was 31-year-old Kweku Adoboli in news last week?

Please mail your answers on or before next week to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 390 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 11, 2011

Biz Quizzard 389

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week September 05 - 10. Hope you enjoy it.

1. An unmanned spaceship, developed by closely held Blue Origin LLC, had to be destroyed recently after it lost control. Which well known business personality is behind Blue Origin?

2. Which business group will build a 280-room, 5-star deluxe hotel in Gurgaon, marking its foray in to the hospitality business?

3. Which MNC has bought digital coupons and incentives platform Zave Networks for an undisclosed amount?

4. Which MNC last week unveiled ‘Ponam-35’, a 35-foot pleasure boat ideal for cruising and marlin-fishing?

5. Which MNC is launching a new global campaign ‘all ______’, featuring soccer superstars Lionel Messi and David Beckham?

6. Lite Bite Foods has tied up with PVR Gold Class theatre to introduce Director's Cut, a soon-to-open all-day fine-dining concept. Which business personality has founded the company in his private capacity?

7. Carol Bartz was last week fired as the CEO of which MNC?

8. Which business group has sold its spring division BCL Springs to Japanese technology partner NHK Spring for Rs 180.50 crore?

9. Which MNC last week launched its PEN series cameras in India?

10. Which celebrity has been roped in as the brand ambassador for Liberty Shoes?

11. Which MNC has roped in designer Manish Malhotra for the packaging design of its special series for Diwali?

12. Titan has signed up which celebrity as the brand ambassador for its high-end Xylys range?

13. Which MNC last week launched its premium sports utility vehicle (SUV) Koleos in India?

14. Which company last week announced a licensing partnership with UNICEF to launch a range of UNICEF greeting cards and gifts?

15. Which MNC has acquired Zagat Survey LLC, the review and ratings service, to add features aimed at local businesses and advertisers?

16. Which MNC has in a unique initiative identified 3,000 of its employees as its online ambassadors?

17. Which company has launched a new campaign called 'Money Ka Matlab'?

18. Which retail chain has launched a new brand campaign, “Endless Possibilities”?

19. Carl-Peter Forster last week quit as the group chief executive officer and managing director of which MNC?

20. Five persons of Indian origin have been named among the 50 most influential in global finance by Bloomberg Markets magazine in a first such list released last week. Name them?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 389 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 4, 2011

Biz Quizzard 388

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week August 29 - September 03. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which toy maker has said it will enter the domestic kids’ apparel segment by the year-end via its popular brands Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price?

2. VenturEast, a southern venture capital firm, has invested $4.7 million (Rs 21 crore) in an ethnic food chain set up by entrepreneurs Venkatesh Iyer and Shivadas Menon to sell which popular snack?

3. Which company has launched the campaign - the pure air lover (p.a.l) movement?

4. Which MNC has bought Daewoo ENTEC, one of South Korea's leading sewage treatment service providers, and is looking at more mergers or acquisitions to become the world's leading water treatment company?

5. The tourism board of which region/ destination has announced a marketing association with novelist Chetan Bhagat to create a 360-degree campaign to showcase its appeal to Indian tourists?

6. Marcelo Villagran will step down as the managing director of Indian operations of which MNC?

7. Which company will be sponsoring Narain Karthikeyan and his team for the inaugural Formula One Grand Prix to be held in India in October?

8. G Krishnan has quit as the executive director and CEO of which broadcasting company after a 16-year stint?

9. Which digital imaging solutions provider has launched a new campaign with the positioning 'See beyond the usual'?

10. Which company has joined hands with Siemens - its first tie-up since establishing a homeland security and aerospace division early this year?

11. Which company is planning to spread wings in the processed fruits business with its aamras (mango pulp/ juice) brand, 'Garden Fresh Kerino Ras'?

12. Mahindra & Mahindra last week unveiled the brand for its new ‘World SUV’ (code-named W201). Name it?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 388 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

August 28, 2011

Biz Quizzard 387

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week August 22 - 27. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which MNC has tied up with Future Group to co-develop and co-brand a line of bakery products that will be sold exclusively at Big Bazaar stores?

2. Which company has a new logo - that of a tiger paw with a human imprint inside, along with a new tagline - ‘Unleash your potential’?

3. Which company has stepped into the ready-to-eat meal segment with ‘Yummeals’?

4. Which MNC last week said it had agreed to buy Chilean appliance company CTI and a subsidiary as it seeks to further boost its presence in emerging markets?

5. Which company last week launched 'Cigar Republic', its first premium cigar retail store, in New Delhi?

6. Which Hindi publication has roped in Raghu and Rajiv of Roadies fame as brand ambassadors for its youth-centric daily Yuva?

7. Which leading internet communications firm has said it will acquire GroupMe, a provider of mobile group messaging applications, for an undisclosed amount?

8. The engineering and construction arm of which very well known MNC group has made a foray into Indian construction sector and is developing Mumbai-based property developer Oberoi Realty’s premium project in Worli, Mumbai?

9. Which pharma company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Universal Medicare’s marketing and distribution business in India?

10. Tim Cook is the new CEO of which MNC?

11. M Bhagavantha Rao is the new managing director of which public sector bank?

12. Which US-based off-road vehicle-maker last week forayed into the Indian market with its all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and off-road Jeeps?

13. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped the latest Forbes list of the world's most powerful women. Which business personality is ranked 4th?

14. Which international celebrity will travel to India to launch her eponymous brand at Shoppers Stop next month?

15. Which well known Indian business personality has put out a contest to the twitterati following him to guess the launch date of the W201, the code name of his company’s new product?

16. A new apparel brand ‘46664’ was launched in Johannesburg last week. What is the significance of the number 46664?

17. Vikram Gulati, who headed Nasdaq-listed Intelligroup, has joined as the CEO of which IT services company?

18. Ved Prakash Arya, 42, died in a freak accident in Mumbai last week. He was the founder managing director of which private equity firm?

19. Which MNC has named Lenovo Group COO Rory Read as its new CEO?

20. Which MNC last week announced the launch of “The World’s first 3D smartphone” in India?

21. Which MNC has launched ‘Future Is Me’, a campaign that will target youth?

22. Which Indian company has taken the title sponsorship of Amsterdam Marathon for five years?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli"gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 387 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

August 21, 2011

Biz Quizzard 386

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week August 15 - 20. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which MNC is buying cell phone maker Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in cash in what is by far the company's biggest acquisition to date?

2. Which consumer durables company has got the singer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy as brand ambassadors for its Lifestyle Entertainment range of products?

3. Which company has launched a ‘Home Club’ initiative on a pilot basis and has begun door-to-door direct selling through housewives and housing societies to boost sales of its private brands such as Sudz detergent, Amara soaps and Healthy Life food items?

4. Which Indian company has acquired Spain-based Proyecta Sistemas de Informacion, an IT firm with over $10 million in annual revenue, specialising in travel and financial services?

5. Which MNC has launched Movieplex, a video destination allowing users to enjoy licensed full-length movies for free through Internet on demand?

6. Which hospitality group last week formally announced the sale of one of its marquee properties in Kovalam to Saudi Arabia-based B Ravi Pillai for a consideration of Rs 500 crore?

7. Which paint brand's logo now features a white human figure holding a colour flourish beside the existing logo in a dark blue background?

8. Which company last week overtook Reliance Industries to become the country’s largest company by market capitalisation?

9. Which company last week entered the tablet market by introducing its feature-rich Magiq, loaded with high-end features and priced at Rs.9,999?

10. According to a study by First Naukri.com, which two companies top the list of preferred employers by students pursuing engineering and various other graduate programmes?

11. Which hospitality MNC last week introduced its Double-Tree brand in India?

12. Which company has joined hands with the Formula One (F1) Group Companies to become title sponsor of the race in India, which is scheduled on October 30?

13. Which MNC, according to reports, is considering a dramatic turn away from the struggling PC business by spinning it off into a separate company and is buying British software maker Autonomy Corp for $11.7 billion, focusing on faster-growing technology sectors?

14. Which automobile company has roped in Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador?

15. Which international food chain last week said it will begin phasing out use of its mascot in its latest advertising campaign?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 386 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

August 14, 2011

Biz Quizzard 385

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week August 08 - 13. Hope you enjoy it.

1. London Olympics organizers' decision to name which company as a sponsor of the 2012 stadium in London, has sparked outrage?

2. Which well known brand has put to rest its most powerful brand element and mascot—the animated frog and changed its tagline to 'Maccharon Pe Vaar, Surakshit Aapka Parivaar.'?

3. Which company last week announced it would buy a 51 per cent stake in Western Cluster Ltd (WCL), a Liberian iron ore mining company, in an all-cash deal of $90 million (Rs 400 crore)?

4. Jude Fernandes has quit as the CEO of which Indian advertising agency?

5. Goa-based designer Wendell Rodricks is behind which confectionary brand’s new stylized look?

6. Which celebrity has has purchased 10,00,000 shares in Birla Pacific Medspa, a Yash Birla Group healthcare store chain?

7. Deven Sharma was in news last week the world over. Why?

8. Which company last week unveiled its new logo and tagline ‘Hum Main Hain ___’?

9. During the volatile stock market action last week, which MNC briefly edged past oil major Exxon Mobil to become the most valuable company in the United States and the world?

10. Which celebrity has been signed on as brand ambassador for Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum?

11. Which company will pick up a 65 per cent stake in Vietnam’s Hoan My Medical Corporation (HMC) for Rs 289 crore ($64 million)?

12. Rohit Nandan has been named the new managing director of which airline in India?

13. Which is the most searched car brand on Google.co.in between January 2010 and May 2011?

14. Which MNC has lost its suit in India against Thai group Ashique Chemicals for infringement of its registered trademarks?

15. Which company has agreed to buy 5.5% stake in Vodafone Essar, one of India’s largest telecom companies, for $640 million?

16. In response to England cricketer Michael Vaughan’s tweet about VVS Laxman, which MNC has launched a campaign in print and on Facebook for its brand?

17. Research In Motion (RIM) last week launched its latest BlackBerry smartphone in India. What has it been branded as?

18. Which FMCG major has appointed popular South Indian actress Trisha as its new brand ambassador for its popular selling fairness cream?

19. Which mobile phone maker HTC Corporation said that it has bought 51 per cent stake in Beats Electronics for USD 309 million?

20. "This is not advertising. This is life @ ____ _____." Which company is running this campaign (TVC currently on air)?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 385 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

August 7, 2011

Biz Quizzard 384

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week August 01 - 06. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which MNC, facing a growing threat of intellectual-property lawsuits, has acquired more than 1,000 patents from IBM?

2. Which IT services provider has acquired the US-based insurance solution provider Wyde Corp?

3. Which business personality has joined the International Advisory Council of Singapore?

4. Which pharma major has agreed to sell its nutrition business to French food multinational Danone for about $356 million (Rs 1,576 crore)?

5. Which company has overtaken its closest rival Wipro in terms of revenues to become the third largest IT services player in India?

6. Which Hong Kong tycoon has agreed to buy British utility Northumbrian Water Group for £2.4 billion ($3.9 billion) in the biggest takeover this year of a British-listed company?

7. Which company has entered the carbonated fruit-based drinks market with its ‘Burrst Fizz’ brand?

8. Which MNC last week unveiled Sunny, its premium mid-size sedan offering for India?

9. Which MNC will spend Rs 2,000 crore to take complete control of the Mumbai-based UTV Software Communications?

10. Which MNC last week announced the launch of its 'Fat Boy Special' model in India?

11. Which BPO company has announced the acquisition of Canada-based On-Line Support, a customer relationship management company, for C$74.85 million (Rs 345.8 crore)?

12. Facebook’s director of marketing, Ms Randi, has announced her resignation from the social network site and is planning to start her own company. What is her other relationship with the company?

13. Which MNC has bought the daily deal aggregator ‘The Dealmap’, expanding further into a potentially lucrative daily deals market now dominated by the likes of Groupon and LivingSocial?

14. Which celebrity has signed a deal with Universal Music and Desi Hits!, a fusion entertainment platform, to record and release her first music album?

15. Which actress has been signed on as the face of Lakmé ABSOLUTE, a new makeup range to be unveiled at LFW?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 384 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 31, 2011

Biz Quizzard 383

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week July 25 - 30. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Who last week became the first non-European to head Deutsche Bank?

2. Which international celebrity will launch a new fragrance titled ‘Signature’ in September?

3. Which hotel chain is claiming to be ‘The Greenest Hotel Chain in the World’?

4. Which MNC bank has named Nainesh Jaisingh as the global CEO of its private equity business?

5. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘India drive khulke’?

6. New York-based PVH Corp plans to buy the rights of which luxury brand from Mohan Murjani?

7. Which company has roped in Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap to direct a series of commercials as part of the company’s new corporate identity?

8. Which bank has agreed to pick up a 30% stake in Metlife India, which will make it the single largest private shareholder in the private insurance company?

9. Which MNC will buy Panasonic Corp’s Sanyo Electric washing machine and refrigerator units in Japan and Southeast Asia for about $130 million?

10. Dogged by controversies and hounded by Maoists, which Indian company's joint venture in Nepal has decided to part ways with Miss Nepal, the republic's oldest and most popular beauty pageant?

11. Which company last week announced the acquisition of CoreLogic India, the India-based captive operations of CoreLogic, an information, analytics and business services company?

12. In what is being billed as the largest overseas acquisition by an Indian travel company, which company has decided to buy UK's Holidaybreak for £312 million (Rs 2,300 crore)?

13. Which MNC last week announced the launch of 555 Blue, world’s first designated prepay phone specifically designed to put the Facebook experience into the heart of the handset?

14. Which MNC has dislodged Nokia as biggest smartphone maker?

15. Which company has set a national record certified by the Limca Book of Records 2012 for organizing the largest gathering of twins in India at a single venue?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 383 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 24, 2011

Biz Quizzard 382

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week July 18 - 23. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company will pay about Rs 270 crore to acquire Gulistan, a three-storey bungalow on Napean Sea Road in Mumbai, where its group vice-chairman was born and lives as a tenant?

2. Harbhajan Singh has served a notice on which company for a spoof ad which makes fun of him?

3. Which company has acquired the 146 existing catalogues of leading Tamil music label Think Music owned by Chennai-based Sathyam Cinemas?

4. Which Indian business group has tied up with German firm Loyalty Partner to launch a common loyalty card programme across its various retail formats?

5. In which city will McDonald’s open its biggest ever branch?

6. Which MNC last week said it planned to buy US-based technology company iGware for $320 million?

7. Which company has created a separate unit called ‘U & Us’, which will enable its customers to co-create home furniture and interiors?

8. Which MNC is launching a special packaging for its product to mark the soon expected event of Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th international century?

9. Which company has recently launched a one of its kind double fragrance talcum powder, Cool Duet?

10. Which airline last week became the first carrier in the world to offer regular scheduled flights running on biofuel, with four daily round trips between Hamburg and Frankfurt?

11. Which company last week launched India's first 24x7 HD sports channels?

12. Which company has taken control of media firm Amar Chitra Katha Pvt Ltd (ACK)?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 382 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 17, 2011

Biz Quizzard 381

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week July 11 - 16. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company has made it to the Limca Book of Records for making the longest mattress?

2. Which company is making a foray into the packaged water segment with its brand ‘Aquasure’?

3. Which 168-year-old newspaper printed its last edition on July 10?

4. Eight Indian companies have made it to the list of world’s 500 largest companies, compiled by Fortune magazine on the basis of the latest annual revenue figures. Which MNC has topped the list?

5. Which MNC is buying a 60% stake in Chinese candy maker Hsu Fu Chi for Singapore $2.1 billion ($1.7 billion)?

6. Which business personality is the new chairman of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)?

7. Which auto component maker last week said it would acquire an 80% stake in German firm Peguform Group?

8. Which two Indian brands figure in the list of world’s 10 biggest global spirits brands by volume in 2010, according to London-based liquor research firm IWSR?

9. Which BPO major last week said it had acquired the human resources (HR) services subsidiary of Japanese automotive company Nissan Motor in Yokohama for an undisclosed amount?

10. Infosys has renamed its Mysore campus after which well known personality?

11. Which business group last week unveiled a new corporate identity including a new logo and tagline 'growing legacies'?

12. Which bank last week launched Infinia cards for the uber-rich, high net worth community in India?

13. Which company recently launched its internal social networking site ‘Bubble’, a platform for disgruntled employees to vent on?

14. Actor Tara Sharma and her son Zen Saluja can be seen in the television commercial (currently on air) for which retail chain?

15. I had almost forgotten how beautiful Nicole Kidman was till I saw this TVC (currently on air) for a watch brand. Which brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 381 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 10, 2011

Biz Quizzard 380

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week July 04 - 09. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company has named Rob Cissell, the former COO of Wal-Mart China, as its new CEO?

2. Which MNC will be rolling out a global campaign to promote its corporate identity in September with the tagline ‘Small actions. Big difference.’?

3. Bangalore-based HR professional Sheeja Mathews was in news last week for becoming the first woman customer in India for which MNC?

4. Which Indian company is acquiring a majority stake in the privately-held Bahrain Shares Registering Company WLL, an affiliate of Bahrain-based KPMG Fakhro?

5. Which business personality has acquired a three-storey bungalow in Mumbai in what is possibly the priciest deal ever for a home in India?

6. Which hotel chain last week launched ‘One PURE rooms’, a new standard in luxury which will fulfill the needs of guests with respiratory sensitivities and allergies?

7. Which MNC has roped in film and television personality Tisca Chopra for the maiden television commercial of its brand All-Bran?

8. Which brand has become the first brand in India to start advertising on Twitter?

9. Which FMCG company last week announced the acquisition of Krishna Thulasi, a leading herbal soap brand owned by Krishna Herbals based in Kollam?

10. Which brand has been ranked the number one Indian brand in a ‘Top 1000 Brands of Asia’ survey conducted by Campaign magazine?

11. Which MNC has launched its "The Web is What You Make of it" campaign on television?

12. Which MNC has acquired social media analytics startup BackType?

13. Which MNC is acquiring a majority stake in Hyderabad-based Mindset Advertising?

14. Which company is advertising its new watch range called HTSE (High Tech Self Energised) on television with the baseline 'Runs on Light'?

15. Which leading Japanese sanitary napkin brand was launched in India last week with actress Prachi Desai as the brand ambassador?

16. Badminton player Saina Nehwal has been roped in to endorse which noodles brand (TVC currently on air) with the baseline 'Be the champion'?

17. Not exactly business. Who was last week named the brand ambassador of the Women and Child Development Ministry for spreading the message of curbing malnutrition among children?

18. Who has emerged the most popular person on Google+, Google’s new social networking service, in a broad survey of Google+ profiles by Social Statistics, an outside service?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 380 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 3, 2011

Biz Quizzard 379

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week June 27 - July 02. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘LIV TMRW 2DAY’?

2. French finance minister Christine Lagarde is the new head for which international body?

3. Lafarge managing director and CEO Uday Khanna is set to takeover as the non-executive chairman of the Indian operations of which MNC?

4. MV Tanksale has been appointed CMD of which bank in India?

5. It is raining tablets in the Indian market. Which MNC last week launched its tablet PC ‘Xoom’ in the country?

6. Microsoft last week launched the cloud version of its popular Office offerings, aimed to enable enterprises to use the software on a pay-per-use model. What has it been branded as?

7. Which MNC has roped in Bharat Bambawale of advertising firm JWT (London) as its global brand director?

8. Private Equity firm Avigo Capital and its associate Metmin Investments are taking a controlling stake in which apparel company?

9. Which Hyderabad-based biotech player is entering the processed food market with its brand ‘Farmer’s Gift’?

10. Which well know personalities last week announced a gift of Rs 50 crore ($11 million) to the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) to fund the establishment of its School of Environment and Sustainability?

11. Which MNC bank last week named former Bondesbank president Axel Weber as its next chairman?

12. What milestone did the Tata Group touch last week in terms of market capitalization?

13. Japanese optical glass maker Hoya last week said it would sell its Pentax camera business to which printer and copier maker?

14. Vinayak Deshpande, head of EPC business of Hindustan Construction Company, last week took over as the managing director of which Tata group company?

15. Google last week announced the launch of its new social network project. What has it been named?

16. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘Status Redefined’?

17. Which MNC last week said it is buying Pillar Data Systems Inc., a storage start-up where its chief executive and largest shareholder is the principal owner and biggest creditor?

18. Which well known sports personality has been appointed independent director at TFS Corp., which owns Indian sandalwood plantations in Western Australia?

19. Which international celebrity, in association with advertising company Specific Media, has bought Myspace from News Corp for $35 million, a fraction of what the Rupert Murdoch-owned company paid for the once-hot social media site?

20. Which battery brand is being endorsed by Salman Khan (TVC currently on air) with the baseline ‘Chalaa Power ka Chakkar’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 379 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

June 26, 2011

Biz Quizzard 378

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week June 20 - 25. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company has topped the list of India's leading corporate brands, released by London-based company TLG Communications?

2. PNC Financial Services Group Inc is buying the US retail operations of which MNC bank for $3.45 billion?

3. Which MNC last week announced the acquisition of web management company FatWire Software?

4. Leading international business school INSEAD has honoured which business personality with its Business Leader for the World Award?

5. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning of G&G – Genius (inside) & Gorgeous (outside)?

6. The Economic Times and The Great Place to Work Institute last week released their India’s Best Companies To Work For 2011 list. Which company has topped the list?

7. Which commercial vehicle manufacturer is all set to unveil its first sports utility vehicle in July?

8. Who has been appointed Unilever’s first chief operating officer?

9. Which media company in India last week unveiled its new brand identity with a new logo and tagline ‘Umeed Se Saje Zindagi’?

10. What will be the new name for Hero Honda Motors Ltd.?

11. Which company is promoting 'true blue', its newly-launched denim range?

12. JK Cement has signed on which celebrity as brand ambassador for a period of two years?

13. Which Canada-based digital accessories brand last week announced its foray into India to cash in on the multi-billion dollar opportunity in the information technology (IT) and telecom peripherals market?

14. Which brand was last week launched in India with the positioning 'Work smarter and play harder'?

15. Which company last week launched what it claims is India's biggest mobile gaming tournament across 11 cities?

16. Which fitness chain has forayed into franchises business with the brand 'Hi-Fi'?

17. Which brand is being advertised (TVC currently on air) as ‘India's First Cloud Campus’?

18. Which MNC celebrated the birth centenary of its founder on June 23 by rolling out an OOH campaign in Mumbai?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 378 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

June 19, 2011

Biz Quizzard 377

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week June 13 - 18. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which international celebrity is all set to be the face of Dior VIII watch collection?

2. Which MNC has agreed to buy global footwear and apparel company Timberland for $1.8 billion?

3. Which company last week said it had acquired Italy-based jewellery firm DIT Group, which owns brands like Stefan Hafner, for $11 million?

4. Which MNC has signed a deal to buy US-based software development firm Telcordia?

5. Which company last week unveiled valueabled.com, a forum for Indians, especially the youth, to come forth, discuss and debate on the values and beliefs that shape up lives today?

6. Actor Anushka Sharma can be seen in the television commercial (currently on air) for which skincare brand?

7. Which company, leader in the premium refined oil segment, last week announced its foray into a new category with the launch of its cooking spray?

8. John Abraham is endorsing which electronics company’s Grooming Range for men?

9. Which MNC has announced that it had signed a deal to buy display advertising company Admeld for $400 million?

10. Amitabh Bachchan has been re-signed as the brand ambassador for which writing instrument brand?

11. In what seems to be a first-in-its-kind instance, which company has roped in Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor to head its media and entertainment business that includes television broadcasting and film production?

12. Which infrastructure group/company has unveiled a new brand identity comprising a new logo, with the new tagline 'Always Inspiring'?

13. What milestone has Nissan India crossed from the Renault Nissan Alliance plant at Oragadam, near Chennai?

14. Which MNC last week re-entered the Indian banking sector after a decade, opening its first branch in Mumbai?

15. Which MNC celebrated its 100 years on June 16?

16. Which MNC is bringing its tablet ‘Flyer’ to India in the next few weeks?

17. Which well known film maker is all set to enter the multiplex business under the Mukta Cinemas brand?

18. Which airline in India last week placed an order worth $7.2 billion with Airbus for 72 planes?

19. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) will exclude which two companies from its benchmark index Sensex effective August 8?

20. Which MNC has launched a new range in its G-Shock category of wrist watches with Ranvijay Singh of ‘Roadies’ fame as its brand ambassador for the country?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizard 377 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

June 12, 2011

Biz Quizzard 376

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week June 06 - 11. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company last week announced it has acquired the software solutions business of Gen-i, a member of Telecom New Zealand Group?

2. Which bike was last week launched in India by Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) and Kawasaki of Japan?

3. Which company has bought soap brands Aramusk and Moloy from Mumbai-based VVF Ltd for an undisclosed amount?

4. Which business group will offer Italian luxury writing instrument brand Visconti through its retail stores in India?

5. The mother-daughters trio of Moon Moon, Riya and Raima Sen will together endorse which multi-brand department store chain?

6. Which leading Chinese mobile brand made its foray into the Indian market last week?

7. Which company last week agreed to buy Bharti Enterprises’ stakes in its two insurance ventures with France’s AXA for an undisclosed sum?

8. Which MNC last week unveiled its next-gen portable device ‘Vita’?

9. Which brand has gained entry into the Limca Book of Records last week for the maximum number of heads coloured and dyed in 12 hours?

10. Apple last week unveiled a music-streaming and online data storage service that can be accessed on devices from the iPad to the iPhone. What is it called?

11. Which MNC is likely to introduce 'eKOCool', the new eco-friendly innovation developed by its Indian arm, in urban areas based on the success of the trials that are currently under way in the hinterland?

12. Which MNC will launch 'Mobile Money', a mobile payment service that will enable consumers to pay directly from their mobile phones?

13. Which company has earned the dubious distinction of facing the largest number of consumer complaints, according to latest government data?

14. Which Indian broadcaster will launch a 24-hour golf channel in August?

15. Who has topped the latest Forbes’ Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30 list?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 376 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

June 5, 2011

Biz Quizzard 375

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week May 30 - June 04. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Tata Nano began its first export sales recently. Which country?

2. Gorgio De Roni, a former chief revenue officer of Italian airline Air One, has been appointed CEO of which airline in India?

3. Japan’s Kokuyo Co. will pick up a 50.3% stake in which Indian company for Rs 366 crore?

4. UK-based Serco Group has bought out the stake of private equity firm Blackstone and other shareholders in which Indian BPO firm for Rs 2,861 crore?

5. Which MNC has bought a 74% stake in inverter maker Luminous Power Technologies for Rs 1,400 crore?

6. According to a report last week, PepsiCo India has discretely launched a new potato chip brand that is 40% cheaper than its flagship Lays. Name the brand?

7. Intel has unveiled a new category of laptops that it says will include the best features of tablets. What will they be called?

8. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘Drive the change’?

9. Which company, in its biggest overseas buy, has acquired 51% stake in a leading pan-African hair care company, Darling Group Holdings for over Rs 500 crore?

10. D'Damas, one of India's leading diamond jewellery brands has roped in which celebrity as the new face of the brand?

11. Which MNC has agreed to buy German electronics retailer Medion AG for around $900 million?

12. Which MNC is entering the rapidly growing tablet market with launch of ‘Thrive’ in July?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 375 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

May 29, 2011

Biz Quizzard 374

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week May 23 - 28. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which business group is entering the elite gourmet retailing segment with its all-new format, Foodhall?

2. Which Bollywood actor wants to try his hand at designing and will be creating his new range in association with ‘Denizen’, a brand newly launched by Levi Strauss?

3. Which MNC last week launched its luxury sedan Fluence in India?

4. Economist Rajiv Kumar has taken over as the Secretary General of which industry body?

5. Which business group marked its foray into the infrastructure space with the acquisition of Kolkata-based Aircon Engineering Services?

6. Which television channel is the latest entrant into the rapidly growing but niche café and bars space in India?

7. Which MNC has agreed to buy Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a maker of treatments for cancer and gastrointestinal illness?

8. Which MNC last week unveiled the latest version of its phone operating system, code-named Mango?

9. Which iconic automobile brand was officially launched in India last week with the starting of its first dealership?

10. Which global electronics major has been granted a non-banking lender licence (NBFC) by Reserve Bank of India?

11. Which company last week said it had acquired US-based firm QEI Inc for about $30 million (around Rs 135 crore)?

12. Which Indian business personality was invited to the first-ever meet on the internet to be held under the purview of Group of Eight (G-8) industrialised nations in France?

13. Which MNC will acquire over-the-counter Russian brands of Mumbai-based JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals (JBCPL) for about $260 million?

14. Labelux, the privately held group that owns Bally, has agreed to buy which well known international luxury footwear and accessories brand for more than 500 million pounds?

15. Which two Indian broadcasters are merging their distribution businesses and are floating a new distribution company, Media Pro Enterprise India Pvt. Ltd.?

16. Which brand has created a Guinness World Record by creating the world's largest umbrella mosaic?

17. Which international celebrity is about to announce a new partnership with Jeff Rubin to develop a new brand of candy and sweets called Sugarpova?

18. Google last week unveiled its Pay-By-Phone System, taking US shoppers a step closer to paying by waving their mobile phones at the checkout counter. What has it been branded as?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 374 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

May 22, 2011

Biz Quizzard 373

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week May 16 - 21. Hope you enjoy it.

1. What milestone has Maruti Suzuki India’s WagonR crossed recently?

2. NV Tyagarajan will take over as the new president and CEO of which company from June 17?

3. Which MNC last week announced the launch of India Water Body, an initiative aimed to address the challenge of water scarcity in India?

4. After Osama Bin Laden was killed by a US special forces team named Seal Team 6, which MNC has registered the trademark for the name?

5. Which business group has acquired automotive sealing manufacturing company, SEALYNX Automotive of France?

6. Which MNC last week announced it would acquire Pliant Technology, a leading developer of enterprise solid state drive (SSD), for about $327 million?

7. Which company last week launched India’s first music-enabled refrigerator ‘Edge SX MuziPlay’?

8. Which company last week announced it has acquired Sweden-based Emotron Group for 57.8 million euro (about Rs 370 crore)?

9. Which IT security company last week announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Clearwell Systems, a eDiscovery company, for $390 million?

10. Amitabh Bachchan can be seen in the television commercial for which brand with the baseline ‘Kuch Bhi Kabhi Bhi Kahin Bhi’?

11. Which MNC has recently unveiled a new advertising campaign in India with the tagline "Easy is ____"? (the blank is the company name/brand)

12. 14-yr-old online matchmaking site BharatMatrimony.com has announced the launch of its new wedding gifts portal. What has it been branded as?

13. Nokia will start the phasing out of which brand from July this year?

14. Tata Motors last week launched a customer loyalty programme. What has it been branded as?

15. Which MNC has partnered with Harsha Bhogale for the digital campaign in India for its new global campaign ‘Step Out’?

16. Which companies have been named as India’s two best managed companies in an annual poll conducted by Finance Asia magazine?

17. Which advertising group has agreed to buy Rosetta Marketing Group, one of the biggest independent digital marketing agencies in the United States, for at least $575 million?

18. Which MNC is acquiring an online advertising service called 5to1 Holding for $28 million?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 373 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

May 15, 2011

Biz Quizzard 372

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week May 09 - 14. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which business personality has once again topped the UK rich list by Sunday Times?

2. Topps Company, a world leader in sports and entertainment collectibles, has joined hands with IPL to introduce the official trading card game of the league. What has it been branded as?

3. Which MNC will soon launch board games based on Angry Birds, one of the most popular mobile games, in India?

4. What milestone has Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Aurobindo Pharma crossed in the financial year-ended March 31, 2011?

5. Which well known business personality of Indian origin last week pledged half his fortune to charity?

6. Which MNC, in its biggest acquisition till date, has agreed to buy Skype Technologies, world’s most popular internet calling service, for $8.5 billion in cash?

7. The infrastructure engineering division of which company has acquired a majority stake in Brazil-based hydraulic cylinders manufacturer RKM Euipamentos Hidraulicos?

8. Hyundai Motor India last week launched the all-new version of its mid-size sedan Verna. What is it called?

9. Indian Hotels Company (Taj group) last week announced the opening of the first international ‘Gateway’ hotel. Which location?

10. Bharti Airtel last week gave a name to its new logo unveiled last November. What is it called?

11. Following the completion of its acquisition by iGate, Patni Computers has been rebranded. What is the new name?

12. Google last week announced the launch of notebooks by Samsung and Acer, using its Chrome operating system. What will these be called?

13. Making its first overseas buy, which Kolkata-based company last week announced its plans to buy German company Agenda Glas AG?

14. Which MNC has launched ‘Picture Your Passion,' the digital campaign, aimed at cricket enthusiasts?

15. Which brand has emerged as the world’s most valuable brand, according to a new study by global brands agency Millward Brown?

16. Which media company has launched a new 'web exclusive' news property, an online news website called Firstpost.com?

17. Which MNC has elevated Muralikrishnan B as the country manager for its Indian operations?

18. Which MNC last week said Phiroz A Vandrevala would take over as the managing director and vice chairman of its UK subsidiary, Diligenta?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 372 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

May 8, 2011

Biz Quizzard 371

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week May 02 - 07. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which business group in India has entered into a co-branding deal with Marvel, a part of The Walt Disney Company, to create new categories in the kids’ personal care segment?

2. Which well-known skincare brand turns 100 this year?

3. A majority stock in which iconic MNC has been gifted to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) by its founder to fulfill his “long-held desire” to support education at the institute?

4. Which popular card game is celebrating its 40th anniversary?

5. Which pharma giant has agreed to buy Cephalon of the US for $6.8 billion?

6. Subhinder Singh Prem has been appointed managing director for the Indian operations of which MNC?

7. Which business group last week announced a $2-billion deal to acquire the Abbot Point Coal Terminal in Australia?

8. Which company last week announced it had acquired Mumbai-based speciality pharmaceutical firm Ajanta Pharma’s over-the-counter (OTC) energizer brand 30-Plus?

9. Which MNC has acquired social media client Tweetdeck for up to $50 million?

10. Which MNC has agreed to acquire Flixster, a top movie ratings website?

11. Which milestone has Nokia’s plant in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, crossed recently?

12. Which MNC last week announced it was preparing to celebrate its centenary across the world on June 16?

13. Who has been appointed chairman of Tata Group’s logistics company, Drive India Enterprise Solutions Ltd?

14. Which celebrity was named the brand ambassador of Britain-based personal care products retailer The Body Shop, in India?

15. Which MNC has sold Delicious, the social book marking service, to Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, the founders of YouTube, for an undisclosed sum?

16. Which MNC last week agreed to sell itself to the investment vehicle of the Russian-born billionaire Len Blavatnik for about $3.3 billion, including the assumption of debt?

17. A 70-minutes movie “Men Will Be Men” is being screened in select theaters of PVR. Which company is behind the film?

18. Coca-Cola last week announced the launch of the India edition of its internationally renowned music property. What is it called?

19. Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay is the new chairman and managing director of which public sector entity?

20. Most of you must has seen this TV commercial in which Johnny the bear walks into a luggage store and walks out as John Abraham. Which brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizard 371 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli