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