January 26, 2014

Biz Quizzard 513



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

1. Which generic drug maker has signed a binding offer agreement to acquire the commercial operations of Dublin-based Actavis in seven western European countries?

2. Which US firm will be tapping the weight loss foods segment in India by launching part of its range through Capital Foods?

3. Which company has decided to relinquish the music rights of the soon-to-be-released Hindi movie One By Two in the wake of a campaign waged by music composers, singers and lyricists?

4. Global retail giant Walmart has registered a new company in India after parting ways with Bharti Enterprises. What has the company been named? (easily workable)

5. Tata Motors is introducing a new turbo-charged petrol engine family. What has it been branded as?

6. US-based company Silent Circle and Geeksphone, a Spanish handset maker, are developing a smartphone called Blackphone. What is its claim to fame?

7. Which company will start selling breast cancer drug 'CANMAb', developed jointly with US-based Mylan, in the country from next month?

8. Which pharma major has appointed Sameer Goel as head of its India operations?

9. Which infrastructure major has announced the appointment of Darren Yeates as the Chief Executive Officer for its Australian operations?

10. Decor Aviation Private, one of the largest domestic airport ground handling companies, is floating a new airline. What has it been branded as?

11. PC maker Dell has joined the tablet race in India with the launch of its latest family of tablets. What is it branded as?

12. Which MNC has acquired Impermium, a startup focused on building security products for websites?

13. Suzuki Motorcycle India last week launched a 250 cc motorcycle. What has it been branded as?

14. Which MNC has expanded its range of motorcycles in India with the launch of Z800 model?

15. Kareena Kapoor has been roped in as brand ambassador for which tea brand?

16. The government of which nation is issuing a limited collectors' edition coin dedicated to the Tirupati Balaji?

17. KKR & Co. and Affinity Equity Partners have agreed to sell South Korea's Oriental Brewery back to which MNC for $5.8 billion?

18. Developers of Entertainment City, Noida, have roped in which company to set up the country’s largest superplex with 15 screens?

19. Which company has entered the pain management category with products - Infraphil and InfraCare?

20. Rajeev Vasudeva has been appointed the CEO of which executive search firm?

21. Which lighting company has entered the fans category in the country?

22. Which Indian business personality will receive the 2014 Othmer Gold Medal at the Chemical Heritage Foundation on May 15?

23. L’Oréal Paris has roped in which celebrity as its new brand ambassador in India?

24. Polaris India, wholly-owned subsidiary of US-based Polaris Industries Inc, last week forayed into the Indian market with the launch of which iconic motorcycle brand?

25. Which company is celebrating 75 years of 'Serving Society Through Science'?

26. Which city has remained the most attractive IT/ITeS outsourcing location in the world, according to the latest annual ranking by consulting firm Tholons?

27. Cumbria University in the UK has become the first public varsity in the world to do what?

28. Which hospitality major has opened the tallest hotel in North America?

29. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has crossed which important milestone recently?

30. Indian-origin academician Rakesh Khurana has been appointed dean of which well known institution?

31. Which MNC has agreed to buy International Business Machines Corp’s low-end server business for $2.3 billion?

32. Japan’s largest diagnostics company Arkray has entered into an agreement to buy out the in-vitro diagnostics business of which Surat-based company for close to Rs 100 crore?

33. Molson Coors Cobra India last week launched which iconic British beer brand in the country?

34. Which MNC has acquired patents once owned by smartphone maker Palm Inc. from Hewlett-Packard for an undisclosed amount?

35. Maruti Suzuki is gearing up to launch the latest small car from its stable. What has it been branded as?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 513 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

January 19, 2014

Biz Quizzard 512



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

1. A new service, named Elliptic Vault, was recently launched in London. What is its claim to fame?

2. Chennai-based Bafna Pharmaceuticals has applied for a patent to develop and market in the country a chewable mango-flavoured iron tablet under which brand?

3. Who has been named as the most admired person on the planet, according to a survey conducted by YouGov in 13 countries for The Times?

4. BS Motoring, the auto magazine acquired by Delhi Press in April, 2013, has been rebranded. What is the new name?

5. Tata Motors last week launched a new top-end variant of Nano. What has it been sub-branded as?

6. Which MNC introduced its first premium bottled water brand ‘Qua’ at the Golden Globes?

7. Which IT services firm has acquired US-based CRM solutions provider EnablePath for an undisclosed amount?

8. Which MNC has acquired Branch, a social network that focuses providing online forums for insightful conversations?

9. Which company plans to partner with kirana and grocery stores by appointing them as franchisees for its Twenty Four Seven Convenience Stores?

10. Which MNC is buying Nest Labs Inc, a maker of smart thermostats and smoke alarms, for $3.2 billion?

11. Which company has acquired American drinks major Beam Inc for $16 billion?

12. Which company has exited an eight-year-old joint venture company in China by selling its majority stake to its partner China FAW Corporation Ltd for $28.2 million (Rs 175 crore)?

13. Vadodara-based Manpasand Beverages has signed up which celebrity as the brand ambassador for its flagship brand 'Mango Sip?

14. According to a study by Delivery Chef, an online food ordering platform based in India, which was the most ordered food in 2013?

15. Which country has emerged as the most popular destination for Britain's FTSE 100 companies looking to invest in emerging markets, according to a new report by law firm Freshfields?

16. Which company is advertising its new service ‘Tab Banking’?

17. Which company has announced that it would soon launch its Iris Pro series of premium smartphones?

18. Which MNC last week took the wraps off a new sports car concept called the FT-1?

19. Which company launched a digital video campaign in the last week of 2013 to promote its self-drive service brand, Myles?

20. Which business group will become the first corporate to use Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) for disbursal of salaries to its employees?

21. Which insurance company has announced the appointment of KS Gopalakrishnan as its managing director & chief executive officer?

22. Which brand from the ITC stable has just crossed Rs 1,000-crore mark by consumer spends?

23. Which British oil and gas engineering firm has agreed to buy Swiss-based rival Foster Wheeler for £1.9 billion ($3.13 billion)?

24. Which watch maker has announced a three year long global partnership with tennis star Novak Djokovic?

25. Network18 will soon launch a Gujarati business news channel. What will it be branded as?

26. Which automobile company has partnered with Chhota Bheem, POGO’s popular animated character, to educate young kids on road safety?

27. Simi Sabhaney has been named as the new chief executive officer of which advertising agency?

28. Which Indian media company has dissolved its joint venture with the Los Angeles-based CBS Studios International?

29. London-based publisher Bloomsbury has withdrawn a book by Jitender Bhargava in response to a case filed against it. The book was about which company?

30. Which Indian company is one of the five bidders vying to buy the American business magazine Forbes?

31. Which mobile internet firm, known for its online recharge services, is venturing into online retailing?

32. Which company is acquiring Malaysia-based BPO Symphony House Berhad for around Rs 41.3 crore?

33. Which Indian software services provider has tied up its US competitor, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), to explore opportunities in cloud and mobility?

34. Which channel has bagged the telecast rights of European qualifiers to UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup across the Indian sub-continent?

35. Which business group has launched a Gujarati daily titled NavGujarat Samay from Ahmedabad?

36. Which automobile company has launched its maiden mascot to instigate road safety measures in kids?

37. Which Australian high-fashion, accessories and handbags firm has inked an exclusive agreement with Gurgaon-based retail startup Brand Access to set up large-format stores in the country?

38. Gary Toomey has quit as the CEO of which airline?

39. Which Hindi daily has launched an integrated campaign titled Beti Hi Bachayegi, themed around the girl child and the change she can bring in the society?

40. Not sure if I covered this earlier. Brazilian football legend Pelé has become the global ambassador for which airline?

41. Which company has launched its latest campaign with brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, paying respect and showing gratitude to the ‘annadatas’ or our farmers?

42. Which telecom entity has appointed William Barney as the chief executive officer?

43. Which Hyderabad-based company has entered into a joint venture with Japan's Fuji Oil Co Ltd to set up a facility to manufacture non-dairy cream and other food ingredients?

44. Which two celebrities will feature in an advertisement for Oppo mobile phones, a five-year-old mobile company based in China, which is all set to hit the Indian market this year?

45. Which MNC has said it is testing a "smart contact lens" that can help measure glucose levels in tears?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 512 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

January 12, 2014

Biz Quizzard 511



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

1. Which company recently laid the foundation for what it claims will be the world’s largest corporate learning and development centre?

2. Which well known brand is co-branding with Viacom’s youth and music platform, MTV, for a new channel slated to be launched in a couple of months?

3. Marvel Tea Estate (India) Ltd has roped in which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

4. Which MNC has filed a lawsuit against Typo Products LLC that offers a physical keyboard that can be attached to some of Apple Inc's touch screen iPhone 5 models?

5. Audi last week launched the RS 7 Sportback in India. Who is the first customer?

6. Ashok Leyland last week unveiled its new truck series. What has it been branded as?

7. Which company has unveiled its latest tablet ‘LapTab’, which will run on both Windows 8 and Android JellyBean operating system?

8. Which brand has entered into an exclusive partnership with Liverpool Football Club to become the latter’s official mobile handset partner for South Asia?

9. Which MNC is acquiring customer service software vendor Parature?

10. Le Groupe Lactalis of France will purchase which Indian dairy company for $275 million (Rs 1,750 crore)?

11. Which studio has emerged as the top-grossing studio for 2013, with $5.04 billion in global ticket sales?

12. Which hospitality major has rebranded its properties Crowne Plaza London - St. James and 51 Buckingham Gate (not the full names)?

13. Intel has unveiled a tiny computer that is built on its 22 nanometre transistor technology. What has it been branded as?

14. Which insurance company has announced the appointment of Munish Sharda as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer?

15. Which chip manufacturing company has appointed former Motorola chief Sanjay Jha as its new chief executive officer?

16. Which MNC has appointed Man Jit Singh as president of the Home Entertainment division?

17. Which newspaper brand has launched a campaign titled 'Be Polite', which urges people to be polite and nice to others?

18. Marking one month until the start of the Olympic Winter Games, which MNC last week unveiled its new commercial, ‘Pick Them Back Up’?

19. Customer spending on Apple’s App Store crossed which milestone in 2013?

20. Bangalore-based Little Eye Labs has become the first Indian firm to be bought by which MNC?

21. Which MNC has joined hands with celebrity rapper turned business mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to buy luxury US tequila brand DeLeon?

22. Which telecom MNC has named Morten Karlsen Sørby as the new chief of its Indian unit?

23. Which business group was the top donor, among corporates, to both the key national parties, Congress and BJP, as per an analysis by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR)?

24. Which media company will be the title sponsor for 2014 Jaipur Literature Festival?

25. French cosmetics group L'Oreal has said it was halting the sale of which brand in China, the latest Western company to get cold feet over a chill in luxury sales?

26. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has unveiled a new mobile service that seeks to improve way people search for and find information. What has it been branded as?

27. China has become the first country to cross which automobile sales milestone in any given year?

28. Indian Ordnance Factory (IOF), Kanpur, has manufactured Nirbheek, a .32 bore light weight revolver. What is its claim to fame?

29. Intel Corporation has decided to re-brand the products of anti-virus software maker McAfee. What will be the new name?

30. Which brand has launched its new ad campaign titled ‘A Greater Drive’?

31. Which well known MNC is celebrating 100 years of its research division?

32. Which Swiss watch brand has filed for a 100% single brand application, becoming the first luxury company to apply through the single brand route after it was opened to fully-owned foreign subsidiaries?

33. WWF India, in partnership with which company, has announced the launch of a project for conservation of endangered ‘snow leopards' species in the country?

34. According to a report last week, which public sector bank is all set to sign Shikhar Dhawan as its brand ambassador?

35. Which MNC will launch the super premium luxury travel goods brand Hartmann in India this year?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 511 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

January 5, 2014

Biz Quizzard 510



Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week December 30 - January 04. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which PSU has decided to step into the dairy sector as part of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative?

2. C K Birla has decided to step down as the chairman of which company?

3. According to a report last week, which well known international super model is set to become the newest ambassador for hair care brand Pantene?

4. Which brand has launched its latest campaign 'joy of gifting'?

5. Which Indian company has joined hands with a New Jersey-based non-resident Indian to use his plant near New York to manufacture its products from February?

6. Which MNC has launched a B2B brand campaign to promote its entrepreneurial spirit and that of well-known corporate customers like Whole Foods, TripAdvisor and Skype?

7. SEBI has approved the appointment of Saurabh Sarkar as the new MD and CEO of which financial entity?

8. January 1, 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of which industry?

9. Which investment bank has emerged at the top in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) league table for 2013 in India?

10. Which well known cosmetics maker will cease operations in China?

11. BHEL's CMD BP Rao got a two year extension of his tenure last week. Why did this make news?

12. SK Sharma has assumed charge as the chairman and managing director of which public sector entity?

13. P Madhusudan has assumed charge as the ninth chairman-cum-managing director of which state-owned steel entity?

14. Which Hindi news channel has launched a new television commercial unveiling its new look?

15. Which MNC has reached an agreement to take full ownership of Chrysler in a $4.35 billion deal with the United Automobile Workers retiree health care fund?

16. Audi is all set to launch its sports car ‘RS 7’ in India. What is its claim to fame?

17. Which company has appointed former Walmart India president Raj Jain as its CEO?

18. Rajiv Sawhney has resigned as the CEO of which hospitality company?

19. Which media entity has promoted its COO NP Singh to the position of CEO?

20. Audi India has become the first luxury car maker to cross which sales milestone in the country?

21. Which financial entity has appointed former BSE head Manoj Vaish as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for three years?

22. In what is being claimed as an industry first, which insurance company launched an all-women branch last week?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 510 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli