December 30, 2012

Biz Quizzard 457

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

1. Eight Indian CEOs have made it to the list of 100 global chief executives, compiled by Harvard Business Review (HBR). Who has been ranked seventh on the list?

2. Ashwani Kumar has been appointed as chairman & managing director of which bank?

3. According to an Assocham survey, which business group is perceived to be India's best-known global brand within and outside the country?

4. Which celebrity has been appointed as the brand ambassador for NIVEA's Face Cleansing Range?

5. Which new internal record did Air India create on December 21, 2012?

6. Which portal remained the best website for shopping online in the US this holiday season, according to the ForeSee's Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction Index?

7. Which company last week said that it has sold its textile, chemicals, paper specialties and emulsions businesses to US-based SK Capital for CHF (Swiss Francs) 502 million (about Rs 3,029 crore)?

8. Who has topped the list of most bankable Hollywood stars, released by Forbes Magazine?

9. Former Audi top designer, Peter Schreyer, known for his design contributions to the iconic Audi TT, has become the first foreign president of which automobile MNC?

10. Which location has edged out Taj Mahal to become India's topmost travel destination in the Google's search trends for this year?

11. Which MNC has launched the IdeaPad Yoga series of hybrid devices in India?

12. Which company has emerged as the best performer among Sensex stocks in 2012?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 457 as the subject.

Happy learnng!
rajeev kondapalli

December 23, 2012

Biz Quizzard 456

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

1. Who took over as the first woman President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) last week?

2. Which company is selling its 64 per cent stake in Dental Corporation Holdings Ltd, Australia, to UK’s healthcare major, Bupa?

3. Which company has inked a $ 1.7 billion pact with German media firm ProSiebenSat. 1 Group to buy a dozen television channels owned by its SBS Nordic operations?

4. Which business group last week roped in Saina Nehwal as its brand ambassador?

5. Indian Hotels Company last week announced the opening of Vivanta by Taj - Madikeri, Coorg. What is unique about this hotel?

6. Which celebrity is joining hands with designer label Satya Paul to bring out a collection of sarees, which will consist of 10 exclusive pieces?

7. 10-year-old Romeo Beckham is the new face of which international clothing brand?

8. Caraco Industries has snapped up the generic business of URL Pharma, owned by Japanese pharma major Takeda for an undisclosed amount. Caraco is the US subsidiary of which company?

9. Noida-based Kevin Power Solutions has roped in which former cricketer as brand ambassador for its Innovolt brand?

10. What is the new name of the IPL franchise from Hyderabad?

11. Which company has announced the sale of Aman Resorts to Adrian Zecha, the luxury hotel chain’s founder and chairman, for $ 300 million (about Rs 1,600 crore)?

12. AG Rao, former executive president of Tata Teleservices, is the new managing director of which company?

13. Adult entertainment company Playboy last week unveiled the Indian Playboy bunny and announced launch of its first beach cafe during January-March, 2013. Which location?

14. Connaught Place, located in the heart of the National Capital, is the fifth most expensive office destination in the world, according to global property consultant CBR. Which location has topped the list?

15. Who is the latest celebrity roped in to endorse Sugar Free?

16. Which MNC’s animal health subsidiary Merial has acquired Mumbai-based Dosch Pharmaceuticals?

17. Which financial entity has agreed to acquire NYSE Euronext for cash and stock worth $8.2 billion, moving to take control of the world’s biggest equities market?

18. Who has topped Forbes' annual list of the thirty brightest music stars under 30 years old?

19. Mike Gupta is the new chief financial officer (CFO) of which well known MNC?

20. Which company has delivered its first indigenously designed and constructed high-speed interceptor boat to the Indian Coast Guard?

21. Which IT MNC will acquire six companies that are a part of Germany-based C1 Group, in a bid to boost its consulting capability and European footprint?

22. Research in Motion (RIM), maker of BlackBerry smart phones, has roped in which celebrity as its brand ambassador in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 456 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

December 16, 2012

Biz Quizzard 455

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

1. The world’s top chocolate maker, Mars Inc has roped in veteran Bollywood diva Rekha to endorse which brand in India?

2. Which company has acquired the Singapore-based FMCG company LD Waxson for $144 million (around Rs 790 crore)?

3. Which company has sold its Sunflower Vanaspati brand to US food processing company Cargill?

4. Stan-Chart PE and Oak Investment Partners-backed Sutherland Global Services has acquired which healthcare focused BPO firm?

5. Which celebrity has signed a 30-million-pound deal to become the face of Pepsi?

6. Which MNC has acquired South Korean game developer Studio Ex, according to a report in the Hollywood Reporter?

7. Which business group has acquired two domestic jewellery brands, Nirvana and Viola?

8. Which company has launched Sundrops, an international shoe brand for women, in India?

9. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the number of annual tourists crossing international borders reached which milestone last week?

10. Which company has announced the launch of a new marketing campaign 'Kiss to Drink'?

11. Which company has retained the top slot in the Fortune 500 list of Indian companies for 2012?

12. Vidya Balan tied the knot with Siddharth Roy Kapoor last week. He is the CEO of which company?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 455 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

December 9, 2012

Biz Quizzard 454

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

1. Which company has acquired Florida, US-based data analytics company Digital Risk, for $200 million (about Rs 1,100 crore) in an all-cash deal?

2. Which MNC has agreed to acquire Canadian start-up BufferBox, which manages self-service parcel lockers to help consumers avoid missed deliveries?

3. Procter & Gamble (P&G) will not to renew its 10-year marketing and distribution deal for which brand with Goa-based Menezes when it ends next month?

4. Which company has roped in South Indian actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu for its newly launched range of air freshening gels?

5. FMCG major Dabur has signed on which celebrity as brand ambassador for digestive candy Hajmola?

6. Which retail brand, after being in the market for the past 16 years, has debuted its first television commercial (TVC)?

7. According to a latest worldwide survey of cities by global HR consultancy Mercer, which city has emerged as the best city to live in India for expatriates?

8. Which business group’s subsidiary Decision Resources Group has acquired UK-based integrated market access service provider Abacus International for an undisclosed sum?

9. Which FMCG group plans to take its Raaga Professional range pan-India by the end of next year?

10. Deepika Padukone has signed on to be the new ambassador of which skincare brand?

11. Facebook Inc will become a component of the Nasdaq 100 index on December 12. Which stock will it replace?

12. US President Barack Obama has topped the list of world's most powerful people, according to a new Forbes ranking. Who is the highest-ranked business person in the list?

13. Noida-based Vertent Media Soft and Park Media have announced the launch of a matrimonial channel. What has it been christened?

14. HBO Asia has partnered with which company to roll out two premium ad-free channels for the Indian pay-TV market?

15. Raymond Group, led by Gautam Singhania, has entered the energy drink business. What has it been branded as?

16. Which company has entered the flavoured milk market with 3 varieties under the brand ‘Power Sip’?

17. Which MNC has acquired two Indian agencies, iStrat, a digital agency, and MarketGate, a brand marketing consultancy promoted by ex- Coke- hands Shripad Nadkarni and Sharda Agarwal?

18. Argentine soccer star Leo Messi has been named the global brand ambassador for which airline?

19. Which MNC has appointed former Wipro co-CEO Suresh Vaswani as the president of it’s over USD 8 billion IT services arm?

20. Boman Irani, Farida Jalal, Parineeti Chopra, Kunal Kapoor, Ramyakrishnan and Shivansh have been roped in as brand ambassadors for which brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 454 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

December 2, 2012

Biz Quizzard 453

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 26 - December 01. Hope you enjoy it.

1. As per the latest data available with the World Federation of Exchange (WFE), which bourse is the world's top exchange in terms of the number of listed companies?

2. The world’s largest Audi showroom, in terms of new cars on display, is set to open its doors to customers on December 3. Which location?

3. Sonakshi Sinha and her mother Poonam Sinha will be seen sharing screen space together for the first time in a new campaign for which brand?

4. Deepak Iyer, a former PepsiCo official, has been appointed the new MD of the Indian operations of which MNC, effective January 2013?

5. Chitra Ramkrishna will be the managing director & CEO of which financial entity from April 1, 2013?

6. Mr Indravadan Modi passed away last week after a brief illness at 87. He was the founder of which company?

7. Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney was last week unexpectedly named as the next head of which central bank?

8. Which company has acquired MensXP.com, a lifestyle portal for men?

9. Which company has acquired majority stake in Thailand-based hotel aggregator and tour company ITC Group for $3.2 million?

10. Which business group has bought New York hotel Dream Downtown, owned by celebrated hotelier Vikram Chatwal, for $220 million?

11. Who has topped Forbes' list of the 25 highest-paid musicians in 2012?

12. Which company has created India’s largest men’s formal jacket, currently on display at a suburban mall in Mumbai?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 453 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 25, 2012

Biz Quizzard 452

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

1. Which district has bagged the unique distinction of being the first in the country to achieve 100 per cent banking?

2. According to a recent report, which bank, trading at five times its book value, is the world's most expensive bank?

3. Which Indian distiller has acquired a clutch of brands from Scotland’s George Sinclair & Sons?

4. Which company has signed an ‘option’ agreement with U.S. drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb Company to develop, and later market, its ambitious oral insulin candidate drug?

5. In a first for the Indian two-wheeler sector, which company has voluntarily recalled 11,500 units of its 250 cc bike?

6. Which MNC will buy privately held cloud networking company Meraki for $1.2 billion in cash as part of its cloud and networking strategy?

7. Which company last week announced the launch of a new solution called 'India in a Box', which enables Japanese companies to jumpstart their business operations in India in a short time?

8. Which Indian business personality has been honoured with the James C Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, which recognises contribution of people using technology to change human lives?

9. Paul Otellini will retire as the CEO of which MNC in May 2013?

10. Which celebrity is the new brand ambassador for McDowell Signature’s campaign “Success is living in the spotlight”?

11. Three Indians have been named by Fortune magazine among the ‘2012 Businesspersons of the Year’, an annual ranking of 50 global leaders who are ‘the best in business’. Name them?

12. Which Indian manufacturer of automotive chains, recently acquired 100 per cent shares of Michigan-based GFM Inc for $5.5 million?

13. Which company will buy 51% stake in South African drug maker Cipla Medpro for about $220 million?

14. Mohit Kampani is the new CEO of which retail chain in India?

15. Which MNC has won the title sponsorship rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the next five seasons for Rs 396.8 crore?

16. Which company is set to buy out the 141-screen multiplex chain Cinemax owned by the Kanakia Group, making it the country’s largest multiplex operator?

17. Which MNC has signed a deal to acquire US group Schiff Nutrition for $1.4 billion, winning an entry into the $30 billion vitamins and nutrition supplements market?

18. Which well known MNC will enter Formula One (F1) after announcing a deal with Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus team last week?

19. Which iconic international brand has launched ‘The Original’, a men’s fragrance range, in India?

20. Which company is all set to formally enter the branded pulses market under the Jubilee brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 452 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 18, 2012

Biz Quizzard 451

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

1. The birth centenary of which visionary industrialist was commemorated with the release of a postage stamp in Chennai on November 11?

2. Which 2 Indians have been named by Forbes magazine among the 15 "classroom revolutionaries" who are using innovative technologies to reinvent education for students and teachers globally?

3. In what is being claimed as a global first, Gurgaon metro has let which two companies add their names to stations?

4. Which company, in association with Yash Raj Films (YRF), has launched the “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” (JTHJ) stationery?

5. According to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the number of ATMs in India has crossed which milestone mark in October?

6. After ceasing the distribution rights of Kohinoor and Durex brand condoms, TTK Healthcare has launched its own brand. Name it?

7. Which location has ended New York's Fifth Avenue’s 11-year run as the world's most expensive retail area?

8. Which business family has acquired the Mumbai team of the upcoming Hockey India League in a deal estimated at Rs 105 crore?

9. Which MNC last week announced its plans to buy tea store chain Teavana Holdings Inc for $620 million?

10. Who has retained her position as the country’s top paid business woman, according to Fortune magazine?

11. Which well known sportswear and fashion maker has been bought by Swiss family-held group Maus Freres?

12. Who has been named as the most powerful woman in business in India for the second consecutive year by Fortune Magazine?

13. Which company is selling its medical equipment business based at Mysore to Skanray Healthcare?

14. Which stock-broking and wealth management company has launched the 'We for you' campaign?

15. Hair care gets exciting. Which business group is rolling out beer shampoo, India's only such product made within the country?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 451 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 11, 2012

Biz Quizzard 450

Biz Quizzard completes 450 weeks with this edition. Thank you for being part of this journey.


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

1. Britannia has appointed which celebrity as brand ambassador for its biscuit brand Tiger?

2. Which hospitality brand will be launching the world's biggest virtual pillow fight on Facebook as an application, as part of a new global rebranding campaign?

3. Vivek Gambhir has been named the new managing director of which FMCG company?

4. Gautam Sharma has quit as the MD of the Indian operations of which confectionery maker?

5. The government has appointed Vijayalakshmi Iyer as the chairperson and managing director of which bank?

6. Which company has launched an aftermarket brand called ‘WILGO’?

7. Which publisher has launched a new publication named IQ, The Indian Quarterly?

8. Which company has commenced its pre-owned or used car business called ‘Das WeltAuto’ spread across 15 dealerships in the country?

9. Which Indian software firm has acquired AT Solutions Group, a US-based firm, for $32 million?

10. Which brand has emerged as India’s Most Trusted Brand in a study conducted by Brand Equity and The Nielsen Company?

11. Fab.com, one of the fastest growing online retail sites in the world, has acquired which Pune-based technology venture?

12. Which celebrity is the man with the velvet touch in the latest commercial of Dulux Velvet Touch Pearl Glo?

13. The $1.9-billion French agri-conglomerate Groupe Limagrain has acquired which Indian company for an undisclosed sum?

14. Which yester-year actor has sold his hotel in Bangalore to a consortium led by Delhi-based real estate firm Nimbus Group for Rs 120 crore?

15. Which company has acquired US-based specialty chemicals company Houghton International from a private equity fund for $1.05 billion?

16. Shah Rukh Khan and Katrnia Kaif will be seen together in a campaign for which well known FMCG brand?

17. Which company has entered into a strategic alliance with Penguin Books in a specific deal where it will provide space for Penguin’s high profile book launches and in return will bring the enriching collection of Penguin Books for free reading to its patrons?

18. Which television channel has entered into a three-year agreement with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to be the exclusive broadcast partner of the sport in India?

19. Realty firm Mahagun has roped in which celebrity as the brand ambassador of the company?

20. Which Nasdaq-listed firm has acquired the Hotel Travel Group (HT Group) for $25 million?

21. Which company has acquired US-based DUSA Pharmaceuticals for $230 million, or about Rs 1,250 crore?

22. Which company has acquired SherSingh.com, a private label brand specialising in sports-inspired lifestyle apparels?

23. US-based home and office furnishing major Knoll has entered into a dealership and brand-licensing agreement with which Indian company to manufacture and market its home and office furniture?

24. South actor Deeksha Seth has been roped in as the brand ambassador for which shampoo brand?

25. Which brand in India has become the fastest to cross the million units sales mark in the four wheeler category?

26. McCain Foods India, the Indian subsidiary of McCain Foods Canada, has roped in which celebrity as its first ever brand ambassador in India?

27. South India-based TTK group has agreed to pay Rs 150 crore for which MNC’s 49.8 per cent stake in condom maker TTK-LIG?

28. Ashwani Kumar has been appointed Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of which bank from January 1?

29. Japanese car major Honda will launch an entry-level sedan, named 'Amaze', in India next fiscal. What is special about the car?

30. Which MNC has agreed to buy 53.4% stake in United Spirits for $2.04 billion?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 450 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

November 4, 2012

Biz Quizzard 449

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week October 29 - November 03. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company has tied up with Japanese Toshiba Elevator to roll out high-speed elevators in the country?

2. Which handset maker had an association with Indian Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan and the HRT Formula 1 team for the 2012 Indian Grand Prix?

3. Pearson has agreed to combine its Penguin book-publishing unit with which company as the media companies seek to bulk up in response to a surge in providers of electronic books?

4. Which sportswear major unveiled Australian swimming star, Brittany Elmslie, as its latest brand ambassador?

5. Which hospitality MNC’s affiliate has signed agreement with IHHR Hospitality Pvt Ltd for rebranding of the latter’s five Ista hotels in India?

6. The RTL Group, Europe's leading entertainment network, will enter India’s television market by launching its first TV channel next week. What is it branded as?

7. In a listing of India's largest media groups, based on FY12 revenues, which group has emerged at the top?

8. Which MNC has launched an exclusive website for women, called Style Factor, in partnership with Yahoo! as part of its drive to engage with consumers online?

9. Which airport in India has introduced an app exclusively for Windows 8 users?

10. Which audio brand has launched its new advertising campaign for the India market with A R Rahman as the ambassador?

11. Stock Holding Corporation of India (SHCIL), the country’s first and one of the largest security custodians to financial institutions, will be merged with which state-owned lender?

12. Which company will be introducing a new range of F&B (food and beverage) items under the ‘Milano Collezioni’ collection designed by noted designer Rina Dhaka across all its outlets?

13. Which MNC has agreed to buy filmmaker George Lucas's Lucasfilm Ltd and its "Star Wars" franchise for $4.05 billion in cash and stock, a blockbuster deal that includes the surprise promise of a new film in the series in 2015?

14. Dabur is re-launching its hair care brand Vatika in a premium avatar and has roped in which celebrity as the ambassador for the same?

15. Which company has entered into a brand association with Yash Raj Films for the forthcoming film ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, with the character played by Anushka Sharma portrayed as its employee?

16. Which auto major has announced the launch of its new ad campaign for the festive season titled 'Post it'?

17. The Wipro board has approved the separation of the non-IT businesses from Wipro Ltd to form a new company. What will it be called?

18. Which PC maker last week announced its foray into the smartphone market in India with the launch of five android-based smartphones?

19. Which stock exchange has emerged as the world's largest bourse in terms of the number of trades in equity segment during September?

20. Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting (WCCL), has roped in which celebrity as its brand ambassador for the Aramusk male grooming products?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 449 as the subject.   Happy learning! rajeev kondapalli

October 28, 2012

Biz Quizzard 448

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

1. Which business group has become the country's first business house to attain $100 billion in revenues?

2. Ranbir Kapoor can be seen in the latest television commercial for which two wheeler company?

3. In the biggest overseas acquisition this year by a private Indian company, which Hyderabad-based company has agreed to buy Rutgers, a Belgium-based manufacturer of coal tar pitch, for €702 million, or Rs 4,900 crore?

4. Which company has agreed to buy the entire equity holding of Dutch injectable specialty generics manufacturer OctoPlus NV for € 27.39 million (Rs 192 crore) in an all-cash deal?

5. Which company won the Hyderabad franchise of the Indian Premier League for Rs 85.05 crore per year?

6. Which business group has bought the country's fifth-ranked business process outsourcing provider, Firstsource Solutions in a transaction that values the company at close to Rs 800 crore?

7. According to Forbes' annual ranking of 100 wealthiest Indians, who is the richest Indian?

8. Joginder Singh will take over the as the president and managing director of the Indian operations of which automobile MNC effective December 1, 2012?

9. Which online fashion and lifestyle store has roped in Nargis Fakhri as brand ambassador?

10. Which Indian company features among the top-ten in the world's 50 most innovative list released by US-based business magazine Forbes?

11. Which business personality has been conferred with the prestigious 2012 Hoover Medal in recognition of his philanthropic activities in India?

12. Which bath and light fittings manufacturer has signed internationally-acclaimed fashion designer Wendell Rodricks as its brand ambassador?

13. Which MNC has purchased Stamped, which makes a product that lets consumers share favorite restaurants and music on their smartphones?

14. Which company has entered into an agreement with ExxonMobil Chemical to acquire its Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) Global Films business?

15. Which well known apparel brand is customizing the all-American denims for the country's motorcycle-riding population and adds features to suit local needs?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 448 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

October 21, 2012

Biz Quizzard 447

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

1. Which MNC has struck a deal with Switzerland's national rail company to license the use of its iconic station clocks?

2. Which business personality has been given this year's Golden Peacock Award for personal leadership and his contribution to society?

3. Which MNC has appointed Kumud Srinivasan as President of its India operations?

4. Which media group launched its Bengali newspaper Ei Samay last week, on the first day of the Puja season?

5. Well-known chef Sanjeev Kapoor has been roped in to endorse which beverage brand?

6. Vikram Pandit last week resigned as the chief executive of which MNC?

7. Apple acquired Particle, a San Francisco firm that creates HTML 5 web applications for its staff, last month. Which celebrity is an investor in Particle?

8. Which tractor company has announced its new brand association with Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu in Andhra Pradesh?

9. Which brand has launched its new campaign based on the theme 'Saath khao, khushiyaan badhao'?

10. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘Live the Weekend Life’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 447 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

October 14, 2012

Biz Quizzard 446

*Quiz Alert* BusiQuExt 2012 - Business & Quality quiz for corporates with Rs 20,000 first prize and Rs 10,000 second prize, no entry fee. Bhilai Steel Plant is organizing a Mega-event “BusiQUEXT–2012” in order to enhance awareness on Quality and Business Excellence and to motivate employees to create an environment conducive to Continuous Learning and Excellence. For details, contact busexcelatbsp@gmail.com

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

1. Which company is buying Malaysian counterpart Wyann International in an Rs 100-crore-plus deal?

2. Which MNC has said it will spend over $1 billion to buy its Seattle corporate headquarters in what will be the United States' biggest commercial real estate deal so far this year for a single property?

3. Which footwear major is introducing a new collection of Angry Birds merchandise?

4. Which company has bagged the Porter Prize for Creating Shared Value from the Institute for Competitiveness India?

5. Which celebrity has been roped in by Coca-Cola as the new brand ambassador for Thums-Up?

6. Which company last week announced the launch of AllStar, its first indigenously manufactured reusable insulin pen?

7. Which mobile handset maker last week announced its foray into the television segment with the launch of a range of LED TVs?

8. Which company has appointed Juvencio Maeztu as the country manager for India?

9. Which business personality has agreed to invest $25 million (about Rs 130 crore) in JSM Corp, which runs Hard Rock Café and California Pizza Kitchen restaurants in India?

10. Which company has dragged film-maker Prakash Jha to court over a song in his new film, which it has alleged is "harmful, malicious and defamatory"?

11. Which celebrity has signed on to become the first male face of French fashion house Chanel’s famous scent, No 5?

12. Which MNC has edged out Silicon Valley icon Hewlett-Packard to become the world’s No. 1 PC maker in the third quarter, according to data released by research house Gartner?

13. Max Hypermarket India has rebranded its existing ‘SPAR’ stores. What is the new name?

14. Which brand has emerged as the 'Most Engaging Brand on Facebook’, in a user engagement study conducted by LocoBuzz across the Top 100 Global Brands on Facebook with around 1 million fans or more?

15. Why was Mumbai-based real estate firm Kamla Landmarc Construction in news last week?


Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 446 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

October 7, 2012

Biz Quizzard 445

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

1. Which MNC has launched its TV campaign featuring Usain Bolt alongside cricketer Yuvraj Singh, golfer Rickie Fowler, footballer Sergio Aguero and F1 racer Fernando Alonso?

2. Zee is planning to launch a kids channel in the next quarter. What will it be branded as?

3. Which MNC last week announced a partnership with Nokia to give its business customers access to Nokia’s map data?

4. Which almost 30-year-old apparel brand is entering new categories such as footwear and energy drinks?

5. The 13th annual Best Global Brands report from Interbrand was released last week. Which brand has topped the list?

6. Bengal Waterproof Ltd has resumed operation after 2 years and is looking to regain its position in the rubberised consumer durables market with which over 80-year old brand?

7. Which premium apparel brand has launched a new range of fashionable formals called X-Lifestyle, designed for modern professionals?

8. Which company will launch high-end sports utility vehicle SsangYong Rexton in India on October 17?

9. Dabur has roped in Malaika Arora Khan to endorse which brand, to be relaunched this month?

10. Which milestone has Facebook crossed recently?

11. Which tyre manufacturer has signed a brand endorsement deal with wrestler Sushil Kumar?

12. Eberhard Kern has been chosen to take over as the MD & CEO of the Indian operations of which automobile MNC?

13. Which sports personality has formed a joint venture with Pizza Vito Pizzas, called the Pizza Vito Holding, to bring the brand into India?

14. Surjeet Singh has been appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of which ITf firm?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 445 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 30, 2012

Biz Quizzard 444

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

1. Which MNC made history by setting a new Guinness world record for most participants in a software development marathon at one location, in Bengaluru recently?

2. Who has topped the executive pay charts for listed companies in the country with a package of Rs 73.42 crore for the last fiscal 2011-12?

3. Which MNC has launched a Parallel Journeys TV campaign which celebrates millions of young cricket athletes in India who relentlessly pursue perfection in the sport?

4. KR Kamath has been appointed as chairman of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). He is the CMD of which bank?

5. Which multinational beverage major has decided to end ties with local partner Rahul Narang Group and go so in the country?

6. Nissan launched a MUV in India last week. What has it been branded as?

7. Which FMCG brand has been re-launched in a new avatar with the tagline ‘Alive is Awesome’?

8. Which MNC has launched its latest campaign in India, 'Dream to advance'?

9. Which company will buy Australian supermarket chain Woolworths’ consumer electronics wholesale business in India for over Rs 200 crore?

10. Yum! Brands Inc recently opened a Pizza Hut outlet at Mumbai’s Mira Road. What is special about it?

11. Which business personality will be honoured with the James C Morgan Global Humanitarian Award sponsored by Applied Materials?

12. Subash Menon has resigned as MD and CEO of which company, founded by him?

13. The Government of Singapore has conferred ‘The Public Service Medal 2012’ on which business personality for his achievements in trade, business and industry?

14. Which company has acquired Meghalaya-based Adhunik Cement for Rs 560 crore?

15. Which company last week announced its new brand strategy along with a new logo and tagline 'Welcome to possible'?

16. Angry Birds maker Rovio launched a new game last week. What is it called?

17. Which company has agreed to buy BP Plc's Malaysian petrochemical plant for USD 230 million?

18. Avani Saglani Davda has been announced as the CEO of which company?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 444 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 23, 2012

Biz Quizzard 443

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

1. Which sportswear MNC has roped in Indian cricketer Suresh Raina as its brand ambassador?

2. Which web giant has unveiled a new logo for its website, which has striking similarities with its old one and also with Google's iconic homepage logo?

3. Footwear maker Relaxo has roped in which celebrity as brand ambassador for its shoe brand Sparx?

4. Which company has acquired a 51% stake in Bharti Group-owned mobile value-added services (VAS) provider Comviva Technologies for Rs 260 crore?

5. Which business group has forayed into the UAE with its brand 'Chandra' that will offer a range of herbal beauty and personal care products?

6. Which business school from India has been ranked 10th in the FT (Financial Times) Masters in Management 2012 Ranking globally?

7. Which MNC has said it has bought Instagram rival Nik Software, which makes award-winning photo editing application Snapseed, for an undisclosed amount?

8. The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2012 were announced last week. Who is the Business Leader of the year?

9. Which well known sports personality has been signed up by Rhiti Sports Management for an Rs 40-crore, three-year contract?

10. Parineeti Chopra has been roped in as brand ambassador for which deodorant brand?

11. Which business group has acquired Delhi’s convenience store chain Big Apple which operates 65 stores in the National Capital Region (NCR) for around Rs 62 crore in an all-cash deal?

12. Which MNC has emerged as the world's most attractive employer, for the fourth consecutive year, according to a survey by global employer branding firm Universum?

13. Which beverage company has announced its association with Indian Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan and the HRT Formula 1 team for the 2012 Singapore and Indian Grand Prix, scheduled from September 21-23 and October 26-28, respectively?

14. Who has retained his position as the richest person in America for the 19th year in a row this year, according to Forbes' annual ranking?

15. Which MNC has unveiled a new marketing campaign, Go Do Something Wonderful?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 443 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 16, 2012

Biz Quizzard 442

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

1. Which company said it would buy Lodestone Holding, a Switzerland-based consulting company specialising in business software from Germany’s SAP, for about $350 million (Rs 1,932 crore)?

2. Honda has changed the name of its Indian operations following the breakup of its joint venture with Usha International of the Shriram Group. What will it be known as?

3. The business process outsourcing arm of which company has said it will acquire the captive BPO unit of US-based insurance brokerage Marsh & McLennan Companies for an undisclosed sum?

4. Which company is selling its 22-year-old speciality films business to Germany’s Treofan for an enterprise value of Rs 540 crore?

5. Karishma Kapoor has been roped in as the brand ambassador for which air freshener brand?

6. Which company has entered the luxury single brand retail through a joint venture with British luxury menswear and accessories brand Hackett London?

7. Which company has signed an agreement to acquire US firm Sabre Holdings’ Philippines Development Center for an undisclosed sum?

8. What milestone has HDFC Bank reached in terms of automated teller machines (ATMs)?

9. Which MNC has named Venkatesh Kini as the operating head of its India unit?

10. Which brand has announced the launch of the first ever touch screen watch in India?

11. Which FMCG player has announced its foray into the liquor business in India in partnership with Spain's Mahoua San Miguel Group?

12. Which BPO firm has said its US subsidiary has inked an asset purchase agreement with Deloitte to purchase its healthcare revenue cycle outsourcing business (EBOS) for an undisclosed amount?

13. Who has been elected as the new chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)?

14. Which skincare brand is being advertised on television (currently on air) with the positioning ‘Recycle Your Face’?

15. Which celebrity is making a comeback as brand ambassador for Pepsi after four years, making her the only woman ambassador currently for the brand in India?


Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 442 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 9, 2012

Biz Quizzard 441

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

1. Which company has roped in ex-bureaucrat Rohit Modi as CEO for its operations in India and other emerging markets?

2. Which company is eyeing aggressive expansion plans for its premium brand of milk, ‘Pride of Cows’?

3. Dabur India has roped in which celebrity as the brand ambassador for its new look Dabur Amla Hair Oil?

4. Atanu Sen has taken over as the new Managing Director and CEO of which insurance company?

5. In which city will McDonald’s open its first vegetarian-only restaurant?

6. Which automobile MNC has appointed Gurpratap Boparai as the new CEO of its Indian operations?

7. Which company has announced the acquisition of Hutchison Global Services (HGS), the call centre arm of Hutch in India, for $87.1 million (Rs 484.03 crore)?

8. Which company has been appointed the Official Information Technology Partner to BMW Berlin Marathon?

9. Which MNC has elevated Abanti Shankaranarayanan as managing director of its India unit?

10. Who has been appointed as the chief economist and senior vice-president at the World Bank?

11. Which Indian politician ranks among the 50 most influential people in the world of finance, according to the Bloomberg Markets magazine?

12. Ravi Uppal, former managing director and chief executive of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Power, will be the new MD of which company?

13. Which social media milestone has Coca-Cola crossed recently?

14. In what is a welcome and appreciable move, which telecom company last week announced its tie-up with the National Association for the Blind (NAB) to help provide job opportunities to the visually challenged?

15. Five Indian companies are ranked on Forbes magazine's list of ‘The World’s Most Innovative Companies’. Name them?

16. Renault has launched its fifth model in India, a sedan. What has it been branded as?

17. Which 2 banks feature among the 11 companies from India in the 2012 edition of Forbes Asia's ‘Fab 50’ list?

18. In a move that could beef up protection for its internet services, which MNC has bought startup VirusTotal, a fledgling but widely used cyber security player?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 441 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

September 2, 2012

Biz Quizzard 440

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week August 27 - September 01. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company has said it will sell its plastics machinery business to Japan’s Toshiba Machine as part of its strategy to exit non-core business and rationalise its portfolio?

2. Which MNC is repositioning itself as a luxury lifestyle brand and introducing the American brands High Sierra and Hartmann, which it had acquired, in India by mid next year?

3. To make healthcare accessible for many more, which well known personality has formed a joint venture with US-based TriMedx to take costs out of healthcare centres in India?

4. Which company has tied up with Microsoft to sell the software giant’s office productivity suite to small and medium businesses in India?

5. Japanese advertising behemoth Dentsu has acquired a 51% stake in which Indian ad agency?

6. Which US car rental company said it will buy smaller rival Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group for about $2.3 billion, ending more than two years of on-off takeover talks?

7. Which MNC will buy Kenexa for about $1.3 billion to enter the human resource software market in a move that would likely increase competition with Oracle and SAP who recently bought into the sector?

8. Which celebrity, along with his business partner Arun Pandey’s promoted Rhiti Sports, has floated a joint venture company called Rhiti N Motor Sports to launch a bike racing team?

9. Which MNC has said it would bring its Lincoln brand to China in two years, pitching the vehicle to the luxury segment of the world's largest car market?

10. Which company will launch its latest offering, a new compact sports utility vehicle (SUV), ‘Quanto’, in the second week of September?

11. Which online fashion and lifestyle e-commerce company has acquired Urbantouch.com in a cash plus stock deal?

12. Which company has roped in painter Paresh Maity to design the limited edition packing of its products?

13. According to a recent list by global pharmaceutical research firm, EvaluatePharma, three out of the top 10 fastest-growing generic companies globally are now from India. Name them?

14. Viacom18 will launch a second Hindi general entertainment channel, after ‘Colors’. What has it been branded as?

15. Which MNC last week became the first handset maker to unveil a smartphone using Microsoft’s latest mobile software Windows 8?

16. Which jewellery retail company has signed South Indian actor Suriya as its brand ambassador?

17. Anshuman Das has been named the CMD of which public sector company?

18. Antony Jenkins is the new chief executive of which MNC bank?

19. Which Indian company has acquired 100 per cent stake in Italian firm Rotair?

20. Domino's Pizza is going for a global rebranding exercise. What will it be known as?

21. Tata BP Solar India has formally changed its name. What is the new name?

22. HCL Infosystems has roped in which celebrity to endorse its computing products which includes laptops, tablets and desktops?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 440 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

August 26, 2012

Biz Quizzard 439

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

1. Vipul Chaudhary was last week elected chairman of which organisation?

2. Kerala-based Double Horse Manjilas has forayed into the ready-to-eat segment by launching Ready-to-eat payasams in three variants. It has roped in which well known actor and dancer as brand ambassador?

3. According to latest data from Sebi, which stock exchange has emerged as the world's second- largest bourse in terms of turnover in trading of index as well as stock futures for the month of June?

4. Which global hospitality and travel company recently named Trudy Rautio as its new president and CEO?

5. Mercedes-Benz India recently inaugurated a workshop, 'Auto Hangar', in Mumbai. What is its claim to fame?

6. Which company is gearing up to launch its new 125cc bike Phoenix in October?

7. Which business group last week introduced four new brands - Envi, Moira, True Platinum and Karina?

8. Pune-based City Corporation has tied up with which leading global fashion and lifestyle brand for its Gateway Towers 1?

9. Which automobile MNC has appointed Philippe Divry as the new Managing Director of its Indian operations?

10. Which MNC became the most valuable public company of all time on August 20 when the combined value of its shares exceeded a previous record set by Microsoft?

11. A Ferrari which won the 1947 Turin Grand Prix has been unveiled for the first time after restoration and is now believed to be worth a whopping USD 8 million. What is its claim to fame?

12. Which MNC has agreed to buy Singapore-based Fraser and Neave’s controlling stake in the maker of Tiger beer in a deal worth 5.6 billion Singapore dollars (4.5 billion US Dollars)?

13. World’s biggest online retailer Amazon has finally stepped into India with the launch of its India Kindle store and e-reader in partnership with which electronics retailer?

14. Which business group last week announced the launch of its powdered milk drink ‘Yomil’?

15. Which international sports lifestyle firm has opened its first ever sustainable (read green) standalone store in Bangalore?

16. Which software security solutions firm has announced the appointment of Anand Prahlad as Managing Director (Operations) for its India business?

17. Which business group will sell its associated firm Centum Learning Ltd, an end-to-end training programmes and skill development solutions company, to Everonn Education Ltd?

18. Which automobile MNC has roped in former marketing and sales head of Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) Arvind Saxena as the managing director of its passenger cars business in India?

19. Which FMCG major has roped in Akhil Chandra, GlaxoSmithKline’s Malaysia and Singapore MD, to head its India operations?

20. Which MNC last week unveiled its first new logo in 25 years as it looks to unify its branding ahead of a clutch of new product releases this year?

21. Taiwan-based television-maker AOC TV has signed on which actress as its brand ambassador?

22. Relaxo has signed on which celebrity as the brand ambassador for FLITE, a fashionable, colorful, trendy and comfortable footwear brand?

23. Which international doughnut chain will tie up with Citymax Hotels to launch its stores in India?

24. Which company plans to invest Rs 100 crore to build its readymade furniture retail business and has launched its first store Nesta Furniture in Bangalore?

25. Which brand has recently completed 24 years and has launched a new marketing campaign after a gap of 6 years and a new positioning as “India ka tadka”?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 439 as the subjecct.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

August 19, 2012

Biz Quizzard 438

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

1. Which business group will pitch its Mother Earth chain directly against ethnic products retailer Fabindia by expanding rapidly and borrowing its rival’s social enterprise-style business model?

2. In what is sure to be a debatable move, which state in India plans to start its own airline?

3. Which MNC and Oxfam India, a Non-Government Organisation, have launched a fellowship, “Create to Inspire”, to engage youth on sustainable consumption?

4. Which Indian company is the world’s sixth largest polluter among a total of 40 large power generating companies, according to the Centre for Global Development (CGD), a Washington-based think tank?

5. “Action now has a symbol”. Which brand?

6. Which brand has topped the list of most counterfeited brand during 2011, according to a report of an international body?

7. Which business personality has divested her entire 95% stake in unlisted office furniture company BP Ergo to American furniture major HNI Corporation for an undisclosed amount?

8. Which company has appointed CP Gurnani, credited with the turnaround of the Mahindra Satyam, as managing director?

9. Multiplex chain operator PVR has roped in which actress as the brand ambassador for its bowling vertical 'bluO'?

10. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘Your signature of success’?

11. Which baby care e-commerce player has announced the acquisition of online children’s wear retailer Mangostreet.com?

12. As announced earlier, Subrata Roy-promoted Sahara Group has ventured into the consumer product retail segment. What has the format been branded as?

13. Captain G.R. Gopinath’s firm, Deccan Charters Ltd (DCL), will launch its non-scheduled chartered flight services in Gujarat on August 20 under which brand name?

14. Which organisation has launched 'Sagar Moti', milk packaged in five-layered pouches that will keep it fresh for three months even if it is stored at room temperature?

15. Which company plans to relaunch the beverage brand RimZim?

16. Karl Slym, the former India head of General Motors, will be the new managing director of which company?

17. Olympic star Michael Phelps is seen wearing only swimming trunks and goggles, in a new ad for which fashion brand?

18. Which MNC is buying the Frommer's line of travel guidebooks from John Wiley & Sons?

19. Which brand has claimed to have created the world’s largest signage displaying its logo?

20. To honour the victory of Indian sportspersons in the London Olympics, which airline will provide lifetime free air tickets to all Indian medal winners?

21. Which well known media company has roped-in outgoing BBC head Mark Thompson as its next president and chief executive?

22. Which business group has acquired 74 per cent stake in Modest Infrastructure Ltd. (MIL), a shipyard in Bhavnagar?

23. Which company will acquire Pune-based Computational Research Laboratories (CRL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, for Rs 188 crore in an all-cash deal?

24. The Carlyle Group has joined hands with the management of which well known major international producer and distributor of photos, videos and multimedia products, to buy the company from Hellman & Friedman for USD 3.3 billion?

25. Vikram Sakhuja, CEO of GroupM India and South Asia, will be the new global CEO of which international media agency?

26. Which Indian celebrity will launch his own line of fragrances in partnership with Beauty Contact, a Dubai-based firm specialising in luxury and fragrances?

27. Leo Puri, an adviser with consulting major McKinsey’s India arm, has been chosen to head which financial entity?

28. Days after turning six, what important milestone has IndiGo airline achieved?

29. Which brand is claiming to be the first car brand selling its merchandise through Ebay.in?

30. Subway will open an outlet on the campus of Jalandhar-based Lovely Professional University (LPU) on September 4. What is its claim to fame?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 438 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

August 12, 2012

Biz Quizzard 437

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

1. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap features in the television commercial (currently on air) for which brand?

2. Which hosiery-maker will nationally launch ‘Force’ brand of denims this year?

3. iBall, manufacturer of computer peripheral devices and mobiles, has roped in which celebrity to endorse its range of mobile phones?

4. Which company has signed up as the title sponsor of the fourth edition of Champions League T20?

5. Philips India has signed on which celebrity as its brand ambassador for women grooming range?

6. Rahul Dhir has decided to step down as the MD & CEO of which company?

7. Which company has opened the country’s first financial supermarket in Jaipur?

8. Which brand has re-designed its logo and added a new tagline, 'Joy of Parenting'?

9. Which brand has dropped Rihanna as its brand ambassador for being ‘too raunchy’?

10. Which company has acquired the title partnership rights of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL), a T20 cricket league formed on the lines of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL)?

11. Which new milestone has Airtel crossed in India?

12. The subsidiary of which MNC has entered into a joint venture with the Bangalore-based Hyagreeva Hotels to offer hotel rooms in the latter’s property, The Chancery?

13. Which iconic fashion brand is making its debut in India on Zivame.com?

14. Which MNC’s partnership with the Siddharth Shriram-promoted Shriram Industrial Enterprises Ltd has come to an end, with it buying the latter’s stake in its Indian subsidiary for Rs 180 crore?

15. Who is the new Chief Economic Advisor for the government?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 437 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

August 5, 2012

Biz Quizzard 436

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week July 30 - August 04. Hope you enjoy it.


1. Which MNC has launched 'Me The Musical' on Facebook?

2. Which MNC has launched the first phase of its global 'World Record Campaign' in India?

3. According to data made available by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which milestone has been crossed by solar photovoltaic installations in India?

4. Which MNC has said it would buy privately held Xsigo Systems, a network virtualization software maker?

5. Which Indian company will sponsor Mercedes AMG Petronas for the 2012 Airtel Indian Grand Prix?

6. Which MNC bank has appointed Ravneet Gill as chief executive officer of its India operations?

7. Which MNC has acquired marketing start-up Wildfire to expand further into social media?

8. Who has been appointed president of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) for the year 2012-2013?

9. Microsoft has unveiled a revamped, Facebook-friendly version of its free, online email service, Hotmail. What is it being renamed as?

10. Who has topped the list of the world’s highest earning cricketers compiled by Forbes magazine?

11. Which online portal has launched the social game, The Big Clash?

12. Which MNC will launch its premium hair care brand TRESemmé in India to target salon-frequenting consumers in the urban market?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizard 436 as the subject.   Happy learning! rajeev kondapalli

July 29, 2012

Biz Quizzard 435

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

1. Japanese FMCG firm Unicharm has roped in which celebrity as brand ambassador for its sanitary napkin brand 'Sofy’?

2. Which company has entered into a binding merger agreement to buy Canadian coal firm CIC Energy for Canadian dollar (CAD) 116 million (over Rs 600 crore) in an all cash deal?

3. Which MNC last week said it has acquired premium personal care brand Yardley's businesses in the UK and other select European nations for an undisclosed amount?

4. Which Indian auto company has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with US-based, all-terrain vehicles major Polaris Industries to produce personal vehicles out of a greenfield facility?

5. Which MNC has roped in Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone as brand ambassador for it’s yet to be launched scooter in India?

6. Which entertainment and sports solutions firm has sold 50% stake in its brands business to Platinum Rye Entertainment, a US entertainment marketing company?

7. Which company has acquired a majority stake in Chennai-based e-learning solutions company Axis V for an undisclosed sum?

8. Which MNC has rolled out its new multi-grain family drink product Nutriful in Andhra Pradesh?

9. Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TPI) will enter India through a joint venture (JV) with which MNC and set up its first manufacturing facility at Sanand in Gujarat?

10. In what is a first in the history of Indian two-wheeler industry, which MNC will export sports bikes to Japan from India?

11. What milestone has Facebook crossed in India?

12. Which airline has agreed to pay $80 million in cash for full ownership in Indonesia's Batavia Air?

13. Which company last week said it has acquired education content provider Edurix, a move that will help strengthen its education and learning business?

14. Apple Inc last week released the latest version of the operating software for its Macintosh computer. What has it been branded as?

15. Samsung Electronics India has launched the RS844CRPC5H, a new refrigerator. What is its claim to fame?

16. Which MNC has unveiled what it says is the world’s fastest internet connection through its ultra-high speed service, offering lightning-fast access of one gigabit per second?

17. Which MNC will buy fingerprint sensor technology developer AuthenTec Inc for about $356 million?

18. BMW has roped in which celebrity as its first brand ambassador in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 435 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 22, 2012

Biz Quizzard 434

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

1. Which MNC has appointed Seema Modi as its India managing director?

2. Which business group has unveiled a regional airline, Mantra Airline to connect smaller cities?

3. Which company has acquired 100 per cent stake in British security firm The Shield Guarding Company Limited for Rs 167 crore (£19.5 million)?

4. Which company has topped the list of Best Companies to Work for in India, by ET and Great Place To Work Institute?

5. Ace archer and member of the Indian Olympic Contingent for the London Olympics 2012, Deepika Kumari, has joined which company as a manager in its sports department?

6. In which location is the first Hyatt Place outside the US likely to come up at?

7. Youth channel MTV has tied up with which company to launch co-branded adventure bikes?

8. Which well-known ‘human-potential guru’ died at a hospital in Idaho last week at the age of 79?

9. Joy Chakraborthy has resigned as the CEO of which media company after a brief span of eight months?

10. Which MNC has picked Google’s Marissa Mayer to become its new CEO?

11. Which MNC has posted its first quarterly loss in 26 years after it went public?

12. Which advertising agency in India has launched a new division, TRIP?

13. In association with which company has Google India launched a programme named Google Web Academy?

14. Which MNC has bought Sparrow, makers of the email apps for iPhone and the Mac?

15. Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha feature in the TVC (currently on air) of which beverage brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 434 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 15, 2012

Biz Quizzard 433

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

1. Ranbaxy Laboratories has roped in cine stars Sonali Bendre and Trisha Krishnan as brand ambassadors for which brand?

2. Which MNC last week said it has received the EuroFinance Treasury award for implementing its treasury architecture software integrating operations across 20 nations and swift work on managing debt of around $13 billion?

3. Which company will acquire US-based Triumph Engineering, which provides engineering and technical services to aviation, energy, and oil and gas industries?

4. Arvind Rao has resigned as the managing director and chief executive of which company?

5. Eight Indian companies feature in the list of world’s 500 largest companies compiled by Fortune magazine, including two of them in the top 100. Name the two companies?

6. Which business group’s retail initiative DIGIWorld has unveiled its new brand identity and brand repositioning 'DW'?

7. Which company has entered into a backend joint venture with 2 Sisters Food Group (2SFG), a UK-based meat-processing company to introduce chilled and frozen foods at its food & grocery outlets?

8. Which MNC last week said it would buy Perceptive Pixel, a developer of large touchscreen displays whose customers include cable network CNN?

9. Which company has announced its foray into the air care category with a new brand, ‘aer’?

10. Which hotel chain has announced its partnership with the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs for its “India Is” initiative?

11. Which MNC has teamed up with Theo Mueller Group, the largest privately held dairy business in Germany, to enter the fast-growing US yogurt market?

12. Which company has announced the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary Myra Mall Management Company to Jaydev Mody-owned Providence Educational Academy?

13. Which company has acquired Malaysian company Henikwon Corporation Sdn Bhd for an undisclosed amount through its Malaysia-based wholly-owned subsidiary, Tamco Switchgear?

14. What milestone has BMW India’s Chennai plant crossed recently?

15. Which beer maker has launched a new drink with spicy taste under the label of Indus Pride?

16. South Africa-based drugmaker Adcock Ingram has acquired which Indian pharma company for Rs 480 crore?

17. Which MNC has agreed to buy Britain's Aegis Group in a £3.16 billion ($4.9 billion) deal to create a global media and marketing network to challenge WPP?

18. British fashion brand Superdry, worn by celebrities such as David Beckham and Pippa Middleton, is coming to India through a tie up with which company?

19. Which MNC has appointed P Balaji as VP and MD for its India operations?

20. Which celebrity has signed up to be the brand ambassador of Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s leading jewellery retail chains?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 433 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 8, 2012

Biz Quizzard 432

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

1. Which MNC has announced a cash award of Rs 20 lakh to any of the country’s sportsperson winning a gold medal in the forthcoming Olympic Games to be held in London?

2. Tata AIG Life Insurance has been rechristened. What will it be known as?

3. UK-based casual dining restaurant chain PizzaExpress has kicked off the process of starting its India operation, almost eight months after signing a 50-50 joint venture partnership with which business family?

4. Which well known footwear brand has rolled out a new tagline 'Walk in comfort, wear in style' in India?

5. Italian sportswear maker Fila has roped in which celebrity as its first ever brand ambassador in India?

6. Robert Diamond last week stepped out as the CEO of which MNC bank over the Libor rate scandal?

7. Hero MotoCorp last week launched a new 125 cc motorcycle. What has it been branded as?

8. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has crossed which sales milestone recently?

9. Pramod Bhasin, former president and CEO of Genpact, and the daughter of which business personality have set up a skill development company, Skills Academy?

10. Which Indian company last week said that Harvard Business Review has featured it as one of the six most successful sales and marketing companies in the world?

11. Eros International and Mediaone Global Entertainment have tied up with which company to launch 500,000 mobiles to celebrate the release of Rajnikanth’s next film Kochadaiyaan?

12. Which MNC last week reportedly agreed to buy mapping startup UpNext, the latest sign of increased competition with tech rivals such as Google Inc and Apple Inc.?

13. Which radio channel has launched Freedom Radio, an internet radio channel, to celebrate its 11th anniversary?

14. In its first overseas acquisition, which company has bought Bilthoven Biologicals in the Netherlands for a total consideration of over Rs 550 crore?

15. Sri Lankan tea company Dilmah has set up its first exclusive T Bar in India, their eighth in the world. Which city?

16. Publicis Groupe has become 100% owners of which legendary advertising agency?

17. Which business group has signed an agreement to buy the Terrace Bay Pulp Mill in North Western Ontario, Canada?

18. Which automobile MNC has appointed Philipp von Sahr as its new India chief?

19. Which adman-turned-entrepreneur has just launched Mobocracy, an agency that specialises in providing creative solutions for mobile phones?

20. Which tyre maker has unveiled a new logo and advertising campaign targeting the young and urban customer?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 432 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

July 1, 2012

Biz Quizzard 431

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

1. Which Indian business group will sell stake in its China manufacturing unit to China Power New Energy Development Co. Ltd. for 3.4 billion rupees?

2. Which MNC bank’s arm has agreed to pay Rs 1,200 crore to buy a majority stake in Continuum, a wind energy firm, highlighting the increasing interest of US private equity firms in Indian renewable assets?

3. In what is claimed to be a first-of-its-kind initiative between a university and a business house, which business group has decided to build an India Centre in Olympic University?

4. Which company is test marketing an after-wash laundry brand known as Magic in Andhra Pradesh, that the company claims reduces water usage by two-thirds?

5. Which city has been named the most competitive city in India in a new Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research report?

6. Which company has bagged the title sponsorship for the ODI series between India and Sri Lanka starting on July 22?

7. Mindshare and which MNC have announced the launch of Mobile Garage, a venture designed to use the MNC's mobile expertise to supercharge the use of mobile by Mindshare's global client base?

8. Which FMCG company has recently launched global artificial sweetener brand Nutrasweet in the Indian market via its healthcare arm?

9. Which MNC last week named chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg a director, elevating the first woman to a board that has seven men?

10. Which business personality is this year’s recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award?

11. Chennai-based real estate developer TVH has roped in which celebrity as brand ambassador for all its new projects?

12. Which company has entered the nutraceuticals space with HiOwna-Junior, a nutrition supplement drink for children?

13. Sudhanshu Vats, a vice-president at Hindustan Unilever, has been appointed group CEO of which media company?

14. Google last week unveiled a $199 handheld tablet computer that features a 7-inch screen and is designed to help the company vie with Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.com. What has it been branded as?

15. McDowell’s No. 1 has signed up which celebrity as brand ambassador for its soda extension?

16. Which company was awarded the Global Performance Excellence Award by Asia Pacific Quality Organization in Chicago on June 18?

17. Which MNC has named Ramesh Jayaraman as its India head?

18. Which pharmaceutical MNC has appointed Aijaz Tobaccowalla as managing director in India?

19. Which cosmetic major has launched internationally renowned British model and actor Lily Cole as its first-ever global brand ambassador?

20. Tata Chemicals has roped in which well known personality to endorse its ‘i-Shakti’ brand of unpolished pulses?

21. Which MNC is the official timekeeper for the London Olympics 2012?

22. Which MNC has signed a three-year partnership with football club Arsenal which will allow it to utilise the club’s merchandising, hospitality and content rights in five countries, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda?

23. Which in-car entertainment brand has finally set up shop in India, through a joint venture (55:45) with its current India partner AutoSonics India?

24. Which company has acquired Travelguru, the Indian arm of US travel services provider Travelocity, to become the largest provider of hotel bookings in the country?

25. Which Indian hotel is the only one from the Asian continent to feature in the top 10 list of world’s best-reviewed hotels in Expedia’s annual “Insiders’ Select” ranking?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 431 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

June 24, 2012

Biz Quizzard 430

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week June 18 - 23

1. Which company has roped in Chhavi Rajawat and Saloni Malhotra for its campaign 'She Can, You Can'?

2. Bret Taylor will be quitting his chief technical officer position at which MNC?

3. Which MNC unveiled a tablet called Surface last week, in a move to rival Apple Inc's massively successful iPad?

4. Shruti has launched a 30-room boutique resort property in Coorg, Tamara Coorg. She is the daughter of which business personality?

5. Who has topped the latest list of the world’s 100 richest sportspersons, released by Forbes magazine?

6. What unique privilege will be available to passengers flying to London in Virgin Atlantic’s upper class cabin from July 11?

7. Alok Misra has been elected chairman of Indian Banks’ Association for 2012-13. He is the CMD of which bank?

8. Which MNC has reportedly planned to pay 80 million to 100 million dollars to buy the facial-recognition technology company Face.com?

9. Which company last week announced a partnership with Yahoo Japan to develop a mobile internet portal for the Indian mobile market?

10. Which company has claimed to have created the country’s first 3D ad film?

11. Which business group has forayed into the powdered soft drink market under the 'Piyoz' brand?

12. Why was the brand ‘Tokyo Chic’ in news last week?

13. Secom Medical Systems, Japan, is joining hands with which business family to set up a super specialty hospital in Bangalore at an investment of Rs 200 crore?

14. Which television channel will soon launch branded mobile handsets for kids?

15. Luxor Group's Luxor Nano Technology has appointed which celebrity as the brand ambassador to endorse their newly launched product Luxor Nano Clean?

16. Who is the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, according to Forbes?

17. Which MNC has announced the appointment of Kenichiro Hibi as managing director of its Indian operations with effect from July 1?

18. BlackBerry developer Research in Motion last week launched the P’9981 smartphone in India. What is its claim to fame?

19. The world’s largest provider of web hosting services, domain name registrations and new secure socket layer certificates launched operations in India last week. Name the company?

20. Which company last week launched its new campaign ‘It makes your heart go waku-doki’?

21. Which organization has bagged the 2012 Dufrenoy Prize for facilitating financial innovation in a responsible manner?

22. PM Telang last week retired as the managing director of the Indian operations of which MNC?

23. Which MNC plans to launch its compact SUV ‘Duster’ in July?

24. Which company has launched a new campaign “celebrate every day” for its retail chain?

25. Which company last week said it has received the ‘2012 World Business and Development Award’ at the Rio+20 United Nations Summit in Brazil?

26. In an alliance with scholars and linguists, which MNC has set out to save the world’s dying languages?

27. Which MNC has announced the largest foreign investment in India’s retail sector, pledging to invest €1.5 billion (Rs 10,500 crore) in two phases?

28. Which company has announced the appointment of Harish Bhat, COO of Titan, as its new managing director?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 430 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

June 17, 2012

Biz Quizzard 429

Business Quiz for Corporates on June 23 with Rs 40,000 first prize.
MTI, Ranchi (the corporate training centre of SAIL), in association with the National HRD Network, is organizing UDAAN 2012, a business quiz for corporates, on June 23rd at Ranchi. For details, please contact Mr Srimant Kumar Mallick on 08986880652 or srimantmallick_rkl@yahoo.co.in

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

1. Which celebrity will endorse Maggi Noodles?

2. Which company will soon launch the world’s largest selling chocolate brand in duty free and travel retail, in India?

3. TV18 and Viacom have formed a new distribution company. What has it been branded as?

4. Which company has completed the sale of its hotel subsidiary to a Kolkata-based consortium of Avani Projects and Square Four Housing & Infrastructure Private for Rs 567 crore?

5. TVS Motor Company has signed on which celebrity as the brand ambassador of its Scooty range?

6. Which business group is set to acquire New York’s Plaza Hotel, the 130-room luxury hotel located near Manhattan’s Central Park - a century-old destination for socialites and celebrities, for $570 million (Rs 3,100 crore)?

7. Which company has bagged the sponsorship rights for the Bangladesh cricket team for $9.4 million?

8. Which Indian business personality has received the leadership award of the India-US bilateral trade promotion organisation, US India Business Council, along with Ford Motor’s Alan Mulally?

9. Elinor Ostrom, 78, a professor at Indiana University, died from cancer last week. What was her claim to fame?

10. Which well known personality is entering the education-cum-entertainment space by bringing the Mexico-based global edutainment brand KidZania to the country?

11. Which MNC last week unveiled its own mapping programme, opening up a new front in the war with Google?

12. Henkel India will be renamed. What will it be known as?

13. Which MNC last week aired its first TV ads to tout its advertising potential during a Nascar broadcast on Time Warner's TNT cable network?

14. Which company has acquired a 51% stake in Hungama Digital, the digital and promotions marketing division of Hungama Media Entertainment?

15. Which MNC has launched the PureView 808, the first smartphone to feature a 41-megapixel sensor camera in India?

16. Which company has announced an integrated campaign around its new brand positioning ‘Find Better’?

17. Microsoft has revamped and renamed Hotmail. What is the new name?

18. Which entity has agreed to pay £1.4 billion ($2.18 billion) to buy the 135-year-old London Metal Exchange, the world's biggest marketplace for industrial metals?

19. Business-software company Yammer Inc has agreed to sell itself to which MNC for $ 1.2 billion?

20. Which milestone has Maruti Suzuki Alto crossed recently?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 429 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

June 10, 2012

Biz Quizzard 428

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

1. Which brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘Designed for humans’?

2. A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO made for race driver Stirling Moss was in the news last week. Why?

3. The world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, has uncorked Budweiser Magnum in the country. What is its claim to fame?

4. Japan’s food regulatory authority recently cleared ‘Kirin Mets Cola’. Why did this make global news?

5. Print ads were released on June 3 to celebrate the birth centenary of which business personality?

6. Which company is bringing the oldest American men’s clothier chain Brooks Brothers to India?

7. Rose-based skin care brand Dabur Gulabari has signed on which actress as its new brand ambassador?

8. US private equity giant Warburg Pincus has agreed to buy a controlling stake in which financial services firm for about Rs 800 crore?

9. Which company has roped in five sporting icons-cricketer Gautam Gambhir, Olympic medal winning boxer Vijender Singh, badminton champion Saina Nehwal, five-time world boxing champion Mary Kom and wrestler Sushil Kumar – as brand ambassadors for one of its brands?

10. A coffee table book has been launched to celebrate 50 years of advertising of which brand?

11. To mark the 10th anniversary of the world's largest selling car nameplate Corolla in India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has launched a special edition. What has it been sub-branded as?

12. Which MNC has agreed to buy Bay Bread LLC for $100 million in cash?

13. Which MNC is buying Silicon Valley startup Meebo to help expand its social networking service?

14. Which MNC has acquired the software firm Quickoffice, which allows users to create and edit documents on mobile devices?

15. Which well known international brand unveiled its revamped logo last week?

16. Rupert Murdoch has broken which well known 16-year-old equal joint venture?

17. Which company has entered into an agreement with Opera Software, under which its customers across India, Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be able to access a customised version of the latter’s internet browser on their mobiles?

18. Which MNC has named Kwon Oh-hyun as its new CEO?

19. Which advertising agency has rebranded its company Maatra as Gutenberg Networks India?

20. Which Indian company has been identified as one of the top 25 performers in Caring for Climate Initiative by the UN Global Compact and UN Environment Programme?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 428 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

June 3, 2012

Biz Quizzard 427

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week May 28 - June 02. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which Indian personality has been appointed on the board of trustees of Sundance Institute, a global non-profit organisation founded by Robert Redford, the venerable Hollywood actor and director?

2. PC vendor Lenovo has appointed which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

3. What milestone has professional networking site LinkedIn crossed in India?

4. Which company last week overtook Telefonica SA to become Spain's biggest company by market value?

5. Which brand has launched its latest campaign 'Cricket ki khushi'?

6. Which MNC is set to appoint Pierre-Yves Arzel as the chief executive of its Indian subsidiary?

7. Which company has appointed former president and chief executive of Israeli generic drugs-major Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Israel Makov as chairman of its board of directors?

8. Cps, a local entrepreneur and innovator, last week launched what it claimed as India's first technology multi-brand store, in Ahmedabad. What has it been branded as?

9. Former president of Republic of Botswana, Festus G Mogae, has joined which Mumbai-based BSE-listed diamond firm’s board of directors as an independent director?

10. Which MNC last week created a new category with the launch of AirFryer, a kitchen appliance which fries with just air?

11. Which television channel has rolled out a multi-city outdoor campaign to promote its re-branded look that includes a new tagline, 'Shuruat Yahi Se'?

12. Which online portal is taking a pot-shot at regular print newspapers in its television commercial with the positioning ‘Read today's news today’?

13. Italian car makers Ferrari have made a stunning 3-million-pound special edition sports car, SP12 EC, exclusively for which celebrity?

14. Samalka Group of Institutions has roped in which actress as its brand ambassador?

15. Which brand has introduced a Twitter-based e-commerce initiative, Twittcom?

16. Which company has appointed former Aircel COO Gurdeep Singh as president and chief executive officer of its wireless business, which provides and manages mobile telephony services?

17. Which company is picking up a 49% stake in Gurgaon-based value-added services startup Y2CF?

18. Luxor Writing Instruments has roped in which celebrity as brand ambassador for its pen brand – Pilot?

19. Dinesh Kumar Mehrotra has taken over as the chairman of which organization?

20. Which business personality has been conferred lifetime achievement award by the Colour Society?

21. Which FMCG MNC has appointed Jeremy Hunter as president of its Indian operations?

22. Which company has acquired UK-based analytics firm Coalition in an Rs 250-crore deal which will expand the firm’s global business?

23. Brand Desire, a global brand study launched by Clear, part of the M&C Saatchi Group, has released the list of the top 10 desirable brands in India. Name at least five?

24. Which firm last week filed for bankruptcy, punctuating the largest law firm collapse in United States history?

25. Which business personality, one of the longest serving chairmen of India Inc, last week announced his decision to step down from his post, which he held for 49 years?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 427 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

May 27, 2012

Biz Quizzard 426

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

1. Which MNC has introduced a new campaign titled ‘Good to know' in a few Indian languages?

2. Which MNC will sell its entire 77.1% stake in its Indian arm to Toronto-based Fairbridge Capital?

3. India-born Suma Chakrabarti will be the new president of which European body?

4. Which company has appointed Cyrus Pallonji Mistry and Mallika Srinivasan as additional directors on the board with immediate effect?

5. PepsiCo India has roped in which celebrity as the brand ambassador for its six new baked variants of snack brand, Aliva?

6. Which company is the latest to join the Olympics bandwagon by signing on as principal sponsor of the Indian contingent for the Game?

7. Which business group has acquired the brand rights of bone china crockery brand Hitkari and will relaunch the once-popular brand in the mass-to-premium segment?

8. Mr Eugene Polley, 96, died in Illinois recently. He was the inventor of which popular utility device?

9. Who has become the world’s wealthiest woman, according to an annual index by Business Review Weekly?

10. Which is the world’s most valuable brand according to WPP company Millward Brown's annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study?

11. Vijay Mallya’s United Spirits has signed an endorsement deal with which cricketer for the company’s latest brand, Cariba Rum?

12. Former Reckitt Benckiser India MD S Raghunandan has been appointed as the CEO and whole time director of which FMCG company?

13. Which company last week announced the launch of its first multi-brand retail venture AVE.NEU?

14. Which company has acquired 49 per cent stake in Qualcomm's broadband venture for $165 million?

15. Which business personality has topped the ET-Corporate Dossier ranking of India Inc’s Most Powerful CEOs for the fourth year running?

16. Jyothy Labs has roped in actor Madhavan to endorse which soap brand?

17. Arijit Ray has been appointed CEO of which advertising agency?

18. Which milestone has Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) crossed for its Etios series?

19. The Reserve Bank will shortly put in circulation new coins of Rs 5 denomination to commemorate 150th year of which constitutional body?

20. Which well known personality has teamed up with former United Telecoms vice-president and McKinsey alumnus Chandra Sekhar Reddy and technology entrepreneur Vishal Gupta to launch Sports365.in, an online sports retail company?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 426 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

May 20, 2012

Biz Quizzard 425

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

1. Which business personality will build malls for wholesalers called World Market, the first of which will open in Bangalore this year?

2. Which company has bought two medicated dental care brands Denturite Sealing and Denturite Cleaning Powder from Bharucha Brothers, a little-known medicated dental care company, to foray into the oral care segment in the country?

3. After tasting success in international markets like UK and Gulf, which fine dine restaurant chain, promoted by an Indian celebrity, is set to enter the Indian market?

4. Which company is all set to start its own fire brigade beginning with Gurgaon and Chennai, making it probably the first private company to dabble into such activities?

5. Scott Thompson has stepped down as the CEO of which MNC, after a controversy over a fake computer science college degree on his biography?

6. Which British town celebrated the 250th anniversary of a historic moment in the global food industry on May 13?

7. Ashok Leyland has signed on which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

8. Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar has been appointed the new chairman of which regulatory body?

9. Which MNC has launched its 'Thank you, Mom' campaign in India?

10. Which retail chain has introduced its first ever publishing initiative with the launch of a maternity magazine titled 'Mother's World'?

11. Which automobile brand has partnered with MTV India for India's first Social Road Trip?

12. Who has been named No 1 in the World's 20 Most Powerful Moms list, released by Forbes ahead of World Mother's Day?

13. Which company has acquired the Royal Lancer and Elkays whisky brands from the staples of the Mysore-based Yezdi group, the one-time manufacturers of the famed Yezdi motorbikes?

14. Which Indian logistics major has acquired a 53% stake in UAE-based Eurostar Express for an undisclosed amount?

15. Which MNC last week launched 'Dream Yuga', its first mass-market motorcycle for India and its cheapest motorbike worldwide?

16. Which company has acquired Bangalore-based Atyati Technologies, a provider of private cloud platform for the rural banking sector, for an undisclosed amount?

17. Which business personality has bought US analytics company Decision Resources Group (DRG) from private equity firm Providence for $635 m?

18. Which MNC has teamed up with its software partners to launch a customised language interface ‘Darpan' that helps simplify the use and access of personal computer?

19. Which company has collaborated with US-based leading maternity apparel retailer Destination Maternity Corporation to open exclusive outlets under ‘Destination Maternity' brand in India?

20. Which company last week launched its brand slogan 'Sach Kar Denge Sapne'?

21. Which brand last week unveiled its new logo and latest brand campaign and tagline – ‘Glow Divine’?

22. The Chauhan family-owned Parle Products is re-entering the premium glucose biscuits category through the launch of which brand?

23. Which Indian business group signed an agreement last week with Marriott International, the America-based global operator of a broad portfolio of hotels and lodging facilities, to manage the former’s first hotel in India?

24. Oriflame India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Swedish Cosmetics major Oriflame, has named which celebrity as their brand ambassador for 2012?

25. Which MNC will introduce its first scooter in India, ‘Ray’, by Diwali?

26. Not sure if i already covered this earlier. Aventis Pharma last week said the Registrar of Companies had approved its change of name with effect from May 11. What is the new name?

27. Which business personality has bought a 27.5% stake in Aroon Purie-controlled Living Media India, the publisher and owner of India Today magazine and Aaj Tak television channel?

28. Which city has been voted the Winner of Best City for MICE in Asia at the annual MICE Report awards 2012?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 425 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

May 13, 2012

Biz Quizzard 424

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

1. Which business group is the only Indian entity which has managed to find a place in the list of ten best companies for leadership in Asia, according to a study by management consultancy giant Hay Group?

2. Which MNC has been named as the world's most valuable information technology (IT) services brand by leading global brand valuation company Brand Finance?

3. Which company has launched a cloud-based digital marketing platform, BrandEdge, in partnership with Fabric, a WPP company?

4. Which MNC will now retail its luxury watch brands separately through The Time Factory chain of luxury stores?

5. Jubilant FoodWorks, the Indian distributor of Domino's Pizza, last week launched the first Indian store of which American brand?

6. Who has been signed on by Mankind Pharma as the brand ambassador for their Manforce condoms?

7. A modified Toyota Prius was recently given approval by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles for the nation's first autonomous vehicle licence. Which MNC has been given the licence?

8. Andrew Moss has stepped down as the CEO of which MNC, the latest UK CEO to leave amid investor anger over pay?

9. Which company has topped the Transnationality Ranking of Indian companies, according to a survey by the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, and Fundacao Dom Cabrall (Business School), Brazil?

10. The India-born chief executive of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi is ranked fourth by Fortune in the list of Fortune 500's "female powerbrokers". Who has topped the list?

11. Just a week after announcing the end of a six-year agreement with Tata Motors, Italian carmaker Fiat SpA opened its first Fiat-only showroom in India. Which city?

12. Which MNC has become the biggest American corporation in the Fortune magazine's list of top 500 US companies?

13. Which bank has opened a branch named ‘Yuva’ especially for the youth?

14. Which Indian company last week announced that it was acquiring three comparative shopping websites – PriceGrabber, Lower-MyBills.com and ClassesUSA.com - from US-based Experian for a consideration of $175 million (around Rs 930 crore)?

15. After the Big Mac index and the iPod index, here comes the Club Sandwich Index by Hotels.com. Which city has just been deemed the most expensive city in the world to order a club sandwich?

16. Which MNC has acquired a 76.2% stake in Bangalore-based fire solutions company FirePro Systems?

17. Which retailer is diversifying into accessories and creating a range of stylish pens under its own brand name targeted at women in the corporate world, and professionals such as doctors?

18. Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd (SMIPL) has made its first foray into the mass motorcycles segment with the launch of a 110-cc bike. What has it been branded as?

19. Which Indian company last week said it has entered into a tie-up with London-based spectacle designer Tom Davies?

20. The rogue trader is back. Which MNC bank last week said it suffered a trading loss of $2 billion from a failed hedging strategy by a London-based trader nicknamed the ‘London Whale’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunay to rajeevkonapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 424 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli