Biz Quizzard 300

Biz Quizzard hits a triple century with this edition and what makes it more special to me is that there has not been a single break since it started 300 weeks ago. Biz Quizzard is complied for and posted on Quinkie, an online yahoogroup dedicated to business quizzes and started by Murali Duggineni. Quinkie currently has 2600+ active members. Thank you for being part of this journey.

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

1. Which MNC has signed agreements to purchase Nortel’s Enterprise solutions business for $475 million?

2. Which company has reached an agreement to acquire HSBC Insurance Brokers Ltd (HIBL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC Bank?

3. According to a news snippet last week, which MNC is launching a campaign called ‘Be Beautiful’?

4. Which brand from India will be the main attraction of an exhibition in the National Design Museum, New York, next year?

5. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘More than meets the eye’?

6. Which Indian company has acquired a 65% stake in Zambia’s largest coal mine Maamba Collieries for $26 million?

7. Which MNC has agreed to buy Chattem, the maker of Gold Bond medicated body powder, for $1.9 billion to enter the US consumer healthcare market?

8. Singer Beyonce Knowles Charter is ready to launch her debut perfume. What will it be branded as?

9. Anant Goenka, son of RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka, will take over as the managing director of which well-known group company?

10. Which company last week appointed Rajan Kohli as its chief marketing officer?

11. Which Insurance company has entered into an association with the makers of ‘3 Idiots’ to promote its products?

12. Which MNC last week sold its stake in the telecom tower arm of Bharti Airtel to JP Morgan?

13. Which company is acquiring Uganda’s Rwenzori Tea Investments for $25 million?

14. Which MNC last week agreed on most terms about the sale of its Volvo Car unit to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for $2 billion?

15. Which well known Hollywood actor has struck a deal with French wine and spirits maker Belvedere, getting a stake in the company in exchange for endorsing their vodka brand?

16. A US court last week upheld a patent violation ruling against Microsoft Corp restraining it from selling which popular product in the US?

17. Which well known brand last week entered the noodles segment with the launch of a new brand ‘Foodles’?

18. Which bank last week sold its point of sale (POS) terminals that accept the debit and credit card payment to First Data Corporation (FDC) for $80 million?

19. Which company has inked a licensing deal with entertainment channel MTV to launch a range of co-branded mobile handsets?

20. Which hotel in India has been conferred the highest rating for green buildings in the world – the LEED India Platinum Rating, making it one of the world’s largest platinum-rated hotels?

21. Which media company in India has entered into a content sharing deal with The Washington Post?

22. UTV Global Broadcasting is rolling out an action movie channel on January 1, 2010. What has it been branded as?

23. The Videocon group is getting ready to splurge on its DTH venture with an Rs 100-crore campaign featuring which actor as the brand ambassador?

24. The specialized division of which advertising agency has come up with a 360- degree, multimedia campaign, 'Delhi ki Beti', to create civic sense among Delhiites before the Commonwealth Games 2010?

25. Which business personality, along with his wife, is all set to enter the Limca Book of Records for being the longest serving active couple associated with a non-profit cultural organization?

26. Priyanka Chopra is the latest brand ambassador for which jewellery brand?

27. Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez last week threatened to expel which well known MNC from the country?

28. The India operations of which international media/entertainment brand will be wound up on December 31?

29. Which telecom service provider, in association with HelpAge India, is running a campaign (TVC currently on air) with the theme ‘Silence is not always golden’?

30. '22 Diaries’ is the new campaign (teaser ad currently on air) of which brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 300 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 299

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

1. In a move that marks its foray into direct sales, Google is planning to sell its cell phone directly to the consumers. What will it be branded as?

2. Venky’s India, makers of processed ready-to-eat chicken products, will soon launch a retail chain. What will it be called?

3. Which MNC last week agreed to buy US oil exploration firm XTO Energy for $31 billion?

4. Which Indian business group has acquired the assets of Germany’s Henniges Automotive Grefrath?

5. Brand Equity Agency Reckoner 2009 was released last week. Which advertising agency has retained its top spot?

6. Which company has agreed to sell its injectables business to US-based Hospira for around $400 million (Rs 1850 crore)?

7. Which business group last week made a foray into the global aerospace business with the acquisition of two Australian companies Aerostaff Australia and Gippsland Aeronautics?

8. Which company has been roped in as the lead sponsor for IPL team Rajasthan Royals?

9. Which company last week said it planned to buy US eyewear group FGX International for about $465 million?

10. Which Indian business personality last week received the ‘Order of Merit of Italian Republic’ award?

11. Which MNC last week celebrated 80 years of operations in India?

12. Who has been named Person of the Year by Time magazine?

13. Which business personality was last week conferred the 10th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award by the President?

14. Faced with tough competition from Levi’s, Spykar Lifestyles is expanding into the business of café chains. What will the chain be branded as?

15. Hameed Huq was last week named managing director of which Tata group company?

16. Karl-Ulrich Kohler has been appointed chief operating officer of which steel company?

17. Jaques Michel has been appointed CEO & country manager of the Indian operations of which MNC in the financial sector?

18. Which MNC has roped in Hewlett Packard (HP) India veteran Ravi Swaminathan to head its India operations?

19. Which international super bike manufacturer last week opened its second showroom in India in Gurgaon?

20. Who has been ranked 5th best CEO in the world by Harvard Business Review (HBR)?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 299 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 298

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

1. Maruti Suzuki, according to a report last week, will soon roll out a 7-seater minivan to replace the Versa. What will it be branded as?

2. Which company has entered into a contract with the state-owned China Post to distribute and clear goods sourced by Indian corporates from the city of Yiwu?

3. IT services company Mascon Global Ltd (MGL) is planning to entirely acquire Chicago-based mobile transactions company C-SAM. Which well known personality owns C-SAM?

4. Which company last week rolled out a concept car, designed by auto stylist Dilip Chhabria, for driving its new brand’s visibility?

5. Tata Group last week announced the launch of probably the world’s cheapest water purifier. What has it been branded as?

6. Which milestone was crossed by Hyundai Motor India at its facility in Sriperumbedur, near Chennai?

7. Which retail chain last week announced the acquisition of X-Cite, the chain of large format electronic stores of Impact Retail, a franchise of Kuwait’s Alghanim Industries?

8. Kaushik Basu was last week appointed to which important position in the government of India?

9. Which media giant will acquire Prannoy Roy-promoted NDTV’s entertainment channel, Imagine, for about Rs 546 crore?

10. Leading global premium spirit manufacturer Bacardi last week launched orange-flavoured rum in Karnataka. What has it been branded as?

11. Which MNC last week agreed to buy a 19.9% stake in Suzuki Motor Corporation for $2.5 billion?

12. Vineet Nayyar was last week appointed chairman of which company?

13. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India last week launched a 110 cc bike. What has it been branded as?

14. Which MNC last week acquired 50.2% of Sanyo Electric, the world’s largest rechargeable battery maker?

15. Which MNC has announced the signing of a binding offer with Sara Lee to acquire brand Ambi Pur for $470 million?

16. Which company has appointed Katrina Kaif as the brand ambassador for its home appliances range?

17. Which insurance company has adopted a new brand positioning with a new tagline - 'Faidey ka Insurance'?

18. Actor Vidya Balan is the brand ambassador for which mosquito repellent cream brand?

19. Which television channel has entered into a content deal with Yash Raj, wherein the latter will produce content exclusively for the channel?

20. Which business group is all set to launch a food and beverage brand, 'Movie Munchies' and its own mineral water brand, 'Spring', later this month?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 298 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 297

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week November 30 - December 05. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which iconic US shoe brand has entered into a licensing and distribution agreement with Reliance Brands to set foot in India?

2. IIM’s CAT was in news last week for the initial glitches. Which company conducted the tests?

3. World’s third largest biscuit maker is acquiring the manufacturing facility of SS Food Industries (SSFI) in Himachal Pradesh. Name the company?

4. What unique distinction did Reliance Industries achieve on November 29?

5. Nestle has introduced its ready-to-eat pasta in the market. What has it been branded as?

6. Which company has emerged as the most admired marketer in India, as per a survey conducted by IMRB on behalf of Brand Equity?

7. Coca-Cola last week announced its foray into the energy drinks segment. What has it been branded as?

8. Fritz Henderson last week resigned as the chief executive of which MNC?

9.Tata Teleservices last week launched a new application that allows users to view live TV feed from various channels. What has it been branded as?

10. Gwyn Sundhagul, chief marketing officer and director at Tesco Lotus, Thailand, has been appointed to head which retail company in India?

11. Norway’s Telenor, the world’s sixth largest telecom operator, last week launched its services in India under which brand?

12. Mr Deepak Parekh will be stepping down as the chief executive of which company after a 31-year stint?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 297 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 296

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

1. Which firm has been named as the country’s fastest growing technology company in a list of 50 firms compiled by global consultancy firm Deloitte?

2. According to a report last week, a new and cheaper sub-brand of Horlicks targeted at the lower segment is being test-marketed in pockets of Andhra Pradesh. What is the name?

3. The Economic Times ET 500, the annual list of India’s biggest companies, was released last week. Which company has retained the top spot?

4. Which company last week launched the well-known American bicycle brand Schwinn in the country?

5. The country’s first low-cost air charter was launched last week. What has it been branded as?

6. Which telecom brand last week launched prepaid high-speed data service ‘MBlaze’?

7. Amitabh Chaudhry last week quit as the CEO of which company?

8. TVS Motor last week launched a new motorcycle TVS Jive. What is its claim to fame?

9. Which super-premium global ice-cream brand will set up its first branded café in India next month?

10. Why were Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, David Beckham and Shah Rukh Khan in news last week? (current affairs, business)

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 296 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 295

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

1. To mark the first anniversary of 26/11, which company has launched the ‘Talk For India’ campaign?

2. According to a news snippet last week, which business group has begun the sale of its ‘Dairy Pure’ milk brand through general milk retailers?

3. Which FMCG major has acquired Lakshmibilas, a hair oil brand that has been around for about a century?

4. Which MNC last week said it would buy Dutch copier and printer maker Oce in a deal worth $2.2 billion?

5. Which company has launched a non-alcoholic whiskey-flavoured ice cream?

6. Which company has changed its name to Jubilant FoodWorks?

7. The JCB Diesel Max was on display at India International Auto Parts Expo 2009 in Mumbai last week. What is unique about it?

8. The latest edition of India’s Most Valuable Brands 2009, featuring companies with brand value of more than 1 million dollars, was released last week. Which company has topped the list again?

9. Apollo Sindhuri Capital has been renamed. What is the new name?

10. Which business personality has topped the US business magazine Forbes’ annual list of richest Indians?

11. Rolls-Royce Group last week launched its latest car in India. Which brand?

12. To celebrate the 50 years of which iconic brand has a new television commercial (currently on air), Moonchwali, been made?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 295 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 294

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

1. According to a report last week, Jessie Paul has quit as the chief marketing officer (CMO) of which company to start her own venture?

2. Which MNC has agreed to acquire AdMob, a fast growing mobile advertising start-up, for $750 million in stock?

3. Pesticide maker Rallis India last week became a subsidiary of which company?

4. Which milestone did Hero Honda Splendour cross last week?

5. Which MNC last week unveiled the new digital piano series ‘Privia and Celviana’?

6. Which company last week bought distressed Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer Vale Do Ivai (VDI) in a deal worth $82 million?

7. Which Indian company in the field of after-market logistics services has announced the acquisition of UK-based Multipart Holdings?

8. Which company has reached a deal with UAE’s Dhabi Group to buy a controlling stake in its African telecom assets for an undisclosed amount?

9. Which MNC last week acquired US-based back-office firm McCamish Systems for around $38 million?

10. Puru Pratap Singh, a 4th standard student from Gurgaon, is behind the first “Made in India” creation for which MNC?

11. Which MNC is making a foray into the networking equipment market by striking a $3.1 billion deal for 3Com?

12. Multiplex chain PVR has acquired DT Cinemas for Rs 60 crore. DT Cinemas is the cinema business of which company?

13. Which company last week announced a preliminary agreement for a $7 billion merger with Spain’s Iberia to create the world’s third largest airline by revenue?

14. Which company is diversifying into education loans with the acquisition of a 41% stake in Credila Financial Services, a company that specializes in education loans?

15. Which well known car manufacturer last week launched its first brand campaign in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 294 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 293

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

1. Which FMCG company recently launched its second restaurant Vegnation in Chennai?

2. Which cricketer is the first ever brand ambassador for Revital, the flagship brand of Ranbaxy?

3. HW Park is the new managing director of which automobile MNC in India?

4. Mr Ratan Tata last week handed over the keys of the new model year 2010 of which automobile brand to actor Shahid Kapoor in Mumbai?

5. Which MNC last week signed on Kareena Kapoor as the brand ambassador for its new notebook, which it claims to be the world’s lightest?

6. Which tool maker last week struck a deal to buy rival Black & Decker for $3.46 billion in stock?

7. Which company last week unveiled its new X10 flagship mobile in Helsinki, its first to run on Google’s Android operating system?

8. Which well known company last week agreed to buy railroad Burlington Northern Santa in its biggest takeover?

9. Mr Tarun Das last week stepped down as the chief mentor of which apex business chamber after 35 years of association?

10. Chennai-based PE fund TVS Shriram Growth Fund will be investing Rs 25 crore for a 25% stake in which book and music retail chain?

11. For the first time in its 125-year history, which international retail chain has revealed plans to sell other FMCG brands through all its stores?

12. Which automobile company last week launched two motorcycles Classic 500 and Classic 350 in New Delhi?

13. Which MNC last week snapped up the rights for Lornamead Group’s premium brand Yardley across Asia, Middle East, Australasia as well as north and West Africa for $45.5 million?

14. Acer last week advertised its Aspire 5738PzG notebook in the print medium claiming a first-in-India feature. Which one?

15. Which business group last week picked up a 12% stake in Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) from Zurich Airport for Rs 484.6 crore?

16. According to reports last week, Ms Megha will buy the insolvent Escada, an iconic European luxury fashion house, for an undisclosed amount. How & which well known business personality is she related to?

17. Which Nasdaq-listed BPO firm last week announced the acquisition of American Express’ travel services captive in India for $30 million?

18. Which insurance company last week announced the appointment of Hemant Kaul as its CEO?

19. Starting November 5, Barista is offering a range of coffee called Cheers to Coffee. What is unique about this range?

20. According to a snippet in a weekly magazine, which actor will soon be opening a chain of tea centers called Chai Piyo Ji?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 293 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 292

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week October 26 - 31. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which retail chain has gained the exclusive rights from Vodafone to manufacture and retail official Zoozoo merchandise?

2. According to a news item last week, which luxury goods company is offering a limited edition fountain pen, adorned with pleated horse hair and starting at $3,500?

3. KR Kamath was last week appointed chairman and managing director of which bank?

4. Global women’s hair accessories brand Alexandre De Paris has tied up with which Chennai-based business house for its planned foray into India?

5. Which company last week unveiled Gio, a new light commercial vehicle?

6. Which FMCG conglomerate has, according to a report last week, quietly acquired the business of one of the country’s earliest homeopathy companies, M Bhattacharya & Co Private Ltd?

7. Which advertising medium turned 15 years on October 28?

8. Which MNC last week launched three new advanced mobile handsets – Satio, Aino and Yari?

9. Which MNC last week unveiled the ‘Thinspiration’ range of notebooks in the country?

10. Mr Subir Gokarn was last week appointed the deputy governor of RBI. He is currently the chief economist (Asia Pacific) of which global rating agency?

11. Which company last week launched Actimind, a new milk-based health drink for children?

12. The much talked about television commercial, in which AbhiAsh (Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, for the uninitiated) appear together for the first time, is finally on air. Name the brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 292 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 291

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

1. Which is the only Indian company to be named amongst the top 25 global companies in the 25 A T Kearney Global Champions For 2009 list?

2. The country’s longest elevated expressway (flyover in simpler language) was opened to public last week. Which city?

3. Which MNC last week said it was acquiring US-based staffing firm MPS Group for $1.3 billion?

4. Which automobile company last week bought the remaining stake of 79% in Hispano Carrocera SA, Spain’s largest bus and coach bodies manufacturer, for an undisclosed sum?

5. Mr Ranjan Das died of a heart attack in Mumbai last week. He was the managing director of which software MNC?

6. Lakme Lever, the beauty and wellness services business of the country’s biggest consumer goods company, will be launching a top-end variant of Lakme Salon. What will it be branded as?

7. Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy last week sold shares worth Rs 174 crore in the company to start a venture capital (VC) fund. What is it called?

8. Why was US-based Raj Rajaratnam in news last week?

9. Security solutions firm G4S last week said it had acquired the project security systems division of which company for an undisclosed sum?

10. Model-turned-actress Chitrangada Singh can be seen in the television commercial (currently on air) for which skincare brand? (name both the brand and the variant)

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz quizzard 291 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 290

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

1. General Motors last week launched its luxury sedan in the country. What has it been branded as?

2. Which brand last week unveiled its first high-end store ‘Dive in’ in Hyderabad?

3. Who has been appointed the president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham)?

4. Which MNC last week said it had agreed to pay $2.9 billion for Starent Networks Corp., a maker of equipment for wireless carriers?

5. Which company has agreed to buy the 80-year-old American magazine BusinessWeek?

6. Tata Motors last week launched its new generation sedan. What has it been branded as?

7. Which software company last week entered into a definitive agreement to buy Chennai-based Laser Soft Infosystems, a privately-held banking software company?

8. Which MNC has pipped a host of companies, including India’s Bharti Airtel and BSNL, to buy Luxembourg-based Millicom’s Sri Lankan mobile network?

9. OP Puranmalka has been named the new CEO of which cement company effective April next year?

10. Which company has launched a new brand campaign based on the concept of ‘joy of ownership’?

11. The new avatar of which brand was unveiled recently including new packaging and a new logo, which features a red 'eye' that the company refers to as the 'Eye of Good Health'?

12. Model Dipannita Sharma has been roped in to feature in the television commercial (currently on air) of which brand with the baseline ‘doobo taazgi mein’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 290 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 289

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

1. Actors Swapnil Joshi and Gaurav Gera have been signed on for the new campaign of which biscuit brand?

2. Which automobile MNC last week announced plans to licence its brand in the country as part of an image building exercise?

3. Which company has acquired an 80% stake in Ismart-Timex, a leading BPO services provider in Sri Lanka, for an undisclosed sum?

4. Which beverage chain last week unveiled its revamped identity and logo?

5. Bajaj Auto last week launched the world’s largest selling 250cc motorcycle in India. Name the brand?

6. Which celebrity has been signed on as a brand ambassador by Kolkata-based La Opala RG for its premium tableware brand Diva?

7. Nikos Kordaris was last week appointed acting CEO of which airline in India?

8. Which automobile company is all set to roll out Rio, the country’s cheapest SUV?

9. Who has topped the Football Rich List 2009-10, the list of wealthiest football club owners, as ranked by football magazine Fourfourtwo.com?

10. The Brazilian unit of Spanish bank Banco Santander last week raised $8.05 billion through its IPO. What is unique about this IPO with reference to 2009?

11. Which steel company last week launched its first hypermarket in Bangalore?

12. Private equity firm KKR & Co last week appointed which well known business personality as senior adviser?

13. Hrithik Roshan last week appeared in the print ad of which fashion brand with the positioning ‘BE THE CHANGE’?

14. Which company last week launched the first store of its retail chain “Maya’ in New Delhi?

15. One of my favorite models, the beautiful Sheetal Malhar, in a sari, drenched in rain. No, not a fantasy of mine but a TV commercial (currently on air) for a men’s deodorant brand. Which one?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 289 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 288

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week September 28 - October 03. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Starting this edition on a beautiful and soft note. With which brand would you associate Supritha Shetty, Raashi Khanna, Sweety Massy, Noor Ansal and Madhavy Raj? (If you have been watching/reading TV/newspaers in the last couple of weeks and read the entire statement and question again carefully, you can crack this)

2. Which MNC has agreed to buy Affiliated Computer Services Inc for $5.75 billion in cash and stock?

3. Which company has acquired the Indian subsidiary of Kyocera with an upfront payment of $6 million?

4. Which MNC last week announced that it would sell its entire pharmaceutical business to Abbott Laboratories for $6.6 billion in cash?

5. According to a report last week, private equity partner JP Morgan wants to sell its 33% stake in which eatery chain through a maiden public issue?

6. Which company last week launched its ‘Limited Edition 241’ series?

7. Which MNC last week unveiled Latitude Z, the world’s thinnest and lightest 16-inch laptop?

8. HM Nerukar last week took over as the managing director of which well known company in India?

9. Which MNC last week launched ‘Corby’, a fully-touch handset designed to support the highly connected lifestyle of today’s younger users?

10. According to a news item last week, the famous Mumbai Dabbawallas have been roped in to promote which TV show?

11. England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, according to a news item last week, has inked a nearly 2 million pound deal with which hair care brand?

12. Which company will be buying Grasim’s cement division in a deal worth $2 billion?

13. Former US president Bill Clinton’s Clinton Global Initiative (GGI) has recognized which company’s strategy to sell products focused at addressing the issues of malnutrition and iron deficiencies among Indian children?

14. Mr B Prasad Rao last week assumed charge as chairman and managing director of which public sector entity?

15. Which MNC has agreed to buy Norwegian videoconferencing company Tandberg for $3 billion?

16. Which company last week launched its Wake Up Sid T-shirt collection?

17. Which MNC last week revealed the sketch of its global compact car?

18. India’s biggest Planet Sports opened last week. Which city?

19. Medical technologies and services giant GE Healthcare last week merged its business unit in India with which joint venture partner?

20. Which well known MNC, according to recent reports, is all set to adopt a new tagline "Power to you" as it revamps its brand and marketing for the first time in four years?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 288 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 287

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

1. Starting this edition with a commercial (currently on air) which I loved because of its baseline ‘BECAUSE THE STREETS ARE FILLED WITH IDIOTS’. Which brand?

2. ‘Guiding Light’, a TV soap in the US, ended recently. What was unique about it?

3. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘Bar bar dekho, Hazaar bar dekho’?

4. Which MNC last week struck a deal to acquire technology services provider Perot Systems in a cash transaction valued at about $3.9 billion?

5. Which company is entering the two biggest biscuit segments – marie and glucose – with its existing brands including Feasters?

6. According to a report last week, which MNC would kick off a $100 million global campaign, “It’s You”, next week?

7. Ford Motor Company last week showcased its newly-developed small car in India. What has it been branded as?

8. According to reports last week, Maruti Suzuki has stopped the production of which model from its stable?

9. Which company last week launched seven new models of laptops under the brand ‘ME’ to cater to the youth?

10. Quattro BPO Solutions has become the first BPO in the country to have secured permission from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for which initiative?

11. T Venkattram Reddy has been elected president of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) for the year 2009-10. He is the chairman of which company?

12. Which MNC last week agreed to buy Sara Lee Corp’s personal care and European detergent unit for $1.88 billion?

13. Which company has developed a virtual character, Zac, portrayed as a young, cool, smart, stylish and lethargic person, who chats on his mobile phone and wants to stay fit?

14. The new edition of which automobile brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘IT DRIVES YOU’?

15. Which well known international luxury brand has decided to release its first TVC, starting from the Indian sub-continent?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 287 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 286

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

1. Which company has been rated the best employer in IT sector, according to a Dataquest – IDC survey?

2. Which MNC last week launched an online news reader called ‘Fast Flip’?

3. Which sportsperson has been signed up as a brand ambassador by Neo Sports network?

4. According to a news article last week, which MNC has entered the surface cleaning market in India with its international brand Cif?

5. Which company last week rolled out a super bike, V Max, priced at Rs 20 lakhs?

6. Which MNC is buying fast growing business software maker Omniture Inc for $1.8 billion?

7. Which business group is launching a new commodity brand Ekta, which will cover popular items like gram flour (besan) and beaten rice (poha) among others?

8. Green Infra LTD (GIL), an independent power producer, last week announced the acquisition of the wind power assets in India of which MNC?

9. Which company has roped in UK-based Fitch, a WPP Group company, to redesign its mobile retail store chain?

10. Ohio-based chain of popular mall stores Abercrombie & Fitch has sued which celebrity over her about-to-be-launched perfume brand?

11. Actor Nandana Sen can be seen in the television commercial (currently) on air for which watch brand?

12. Which celebrity has been appointed by Maruti Suzuki as the new face for its hatchback WagonR?

13. Which brand has become the 12th whisky brand in the world and the third in India to have sold 10-million cases a year?

14. On September 17, all the STAR Network channels featured ads of only one company. Which one?

15. Which singer is the new brand ambassador for Big FM?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 286 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 285

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

1. Which paint brand has launched a new campaign featuring Konkona Sen Sharma and Irfan Khan?

2. Which MNC last week made a public hostile bid for UK-based Cadbury?

3. According to a report last week, which MNC is asking people to host parties in their homes, after registering on its site houseparty.com, to showcase its latest product due to be launched on October 22?

4. Bunge India Pvt. Ltd. last week re-launched which well known brand for its range of refined edible oil?

5. Which Indian company has introduced the internationally well-known private labels ‘Great Value’ and ‘George’ in its supermarket chain?

6. Which well known former senior executive from the IT sector has launched a new venture Kinetic Glue Online Communities?

7. Which media company last week launched ‘CRISIS 24X7’, India’s first specialist crisis communication unit?

8. Which IT MNC last week announced the acquisition of Pepperweed Advisors, the IT consultancy services division of US-based Pepperweed Consulting?

9. Which MNC is launching its ‘Private Investment Club’ for India’s super rich on September 16?

10. Which company has hired former Novartis vice president Yugal Sikri as its India CEO?

11. Which company last week unveiled two new power scooters – Rodeo and Duro?

12. James Gorman will be replacing John Mack as the new CEO of which MNC bank?

13. Which MNC last week launched its new phone ‘Cliq’ in the US using Google’s Android software?

14. Who last week became one of India’s highest paid non-cricket sportspersons after signing a multi-crore image management contract with Percept Talent Management?

15. Which company last week, in association with the Indian Music Academy, launched ‘Walking Raagas’, a special compilation of health music?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 285 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 284

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week August 31 - September 05. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which insurance company has announced the signing of cricketers Virendra Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina as brand ambassadors?

2. Which company was last week handed control of Maytas Infra?

3. Which MNC last week agreed to buy Marvel Entertainment for about $4 billion in cash and stock?

4. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘The Art of Power’?

5. Which MNC last week reached a definitive agreement to sell its online telephony unit Skype to a group of private investors in a deal valuing the communication business at $1.9 billion?

6. According to a report last week, which FMCG giant has signed on Shah Rukh Khan as its new brand ambassador?

7. Which MNC last week appointed Rajiv Suri, an Indian citizen, as CEO, effective October 1?

8. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘Take a fresh view of life’?

9. Which insurance company has launched its latest advertising campaign with Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador?

10. Mr Malay Mukherjee is the new CEO of which steel company?

11. After a 13-year-old association with MRF, Sachin Tendulkar has a new bat sponsor. Which brand?

12. Staying on with MRF. Which cricketer is the new brand ambassador of the company?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 284 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 283

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

1. The Economic Times Awards For Corporate Excellence 2008-09 were announced last week. Who is the Business Leader of the Year?

2. In one of the largest healthcare deals in the country, which company is buying 10 of Wockhardt’s hospitals for Rs 909 crore?

3. The largest selling Italian brandy has been launched in India. Name the brand?

4. Toyota Motor last week launched its internationally acclaimed sports utility vehicle in India. Name the brand?

5. Maruti Suzuki India last week launched a new version of its small car Zen Estilo. What has it been re-branded as?

6. Apple Inc’s latest operating system software went on sale in US last week. What has it been branded as?

7. Which celebrity has acquired a 33% stake in V8 Gourmet Group to launch a range of readymade gourmet meals in UK?

8. Westside, the apparel retail brand of Tata Group, last week opened a showroom in Hyderabad; it’s second in the city. What is unique about it?

9. Which iconic automobile brand was last week launched in India?

10. Which well known personality is heading the Passenger Amenities Committee of the Indian Railways?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 283 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 282

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

1. Which company has become the first Indian life insurer to top the list of companies whose agents have qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table?

2. The new edition of which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘Luxury Beyond Excellence’?

3. Which FMCG major owns the hair care brands “Nupoor” mehandi and ‘Expert” hair colour?

4. The publisher of which well known magazine has decided to file for bankruptcy in the US?

5. Which leading online hotel distribution network in India has been acquired by Travelocity Global of the US?

6. In what is perhaps a first for an apparel brand, which company is offering its branded products with a 3-month EMI option and zero interest rate?

7. Which FMCG major is buying a major stake in traditional snacks marketer Garden Hygienic Snacks?

8. Which Indian CEO has been ranked at number 20 in the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list compiled by Forbes?

9. Which television channel has unveiled a new look over this weekend and is ‘Bloody Cool’?

10. Which company has developed a virtual character called Old Hound, who is the author of a blog titled The Dark Truth, to strengthen the positioning of its premium brand in social media?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 282 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 281

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

1. Coca-Cola India recently launched its latest campaign for Sprite. What was unique about it?

2. Which MNC is selling its digital advertising agency, Razorfish, to French advertising major Publicis Groupe SA for an estimated $530 million?

3. What milestone did Maruti Suzuki India cross last week for its A-Star model?

4. Which IT and BPO services company has acquired the India IT captive unit of the troubled insurance giant AIG for an undisclosed sum?

5. Microsoft last week announced an alliance with which MNC to counter the dominance of Research in Motion’s BlackBerry device?

6. Which company last week launched ‘T5’ lamps, claimed to save 85% energy?

7. AP Parigi, who recently resigned from ENIL, will be joining which company as the group CEO of its Indian operations?

8. IL&FS Investsmart has been rebranded. What will it be known as?

9. Roger Rose has been named the chief executive of the Indian operations of which MNC (related to the defense sector)?

10. The radio station SFM has been rebranded. What is the new name?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 281 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 280

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

1. Which company recently became the first private sector establishment in the country to be provided security by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)?

2. The Karnataka government is asking which company to operate the state’s employment exchanges in a radical move aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of its service?

3. Which MNC is scheduled to launch its skincare brand Neutrogena in India (TVC currently on air)?

4. AP Parigi will step down as the managing director of which media company on October 1?

5. Nissan recently unveiled its first all electric car. What has it been branded as?

6. According to a report last week, Yuksom Breweries has acquired Rhino Breweries in Assam in a move thwarting industry leader United Breweries’ (UB) plans for a bigger play in the north east (N-E) markets. Which well known personality owns Yuksom?

7. Which brand has topped the ‘top 10 green brands’ in India according to the recent research titled ‘The ImagePower Green Brands’?

8. Shailendra Bhandari has been appointed as the MD & CEO of which private bank in India?

9. Which company has bagged the worldwide rights to ‘My Name is Khan’, the next venture by Dharma Productions and Red Chillies, for a reported sum of Rs 80-90 crore?

10. Which MNC last week entered the water heater segment in India with its ‘Spa’ range of energy efficient water heaters?

11. Which actress has been roped in as a brand ambassador for snack brand Aliva by Frito-Lay?

12. Which food and beverages brand has adopted a new tagline ‘Tummy bhi khush, Mummy bhi khush’?

13. Which celebrity has been signed up by Yakult Danone India as the endorser for its probiotic health drink, Yakult, in the Indian market?

14. Big 92.7 FM, which had been a part of Adlabs Films Limited (AFL), has been demerged as Reliance Unicom Limited and the name has been further changed. What is the new name?

15. Dabur last week launched a new ayurvedic skincare range. What has it been branded as?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 280 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 279

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

1. Which business group, according to a report last week, has introduced wheat flour, cooking oil and pulses under the brand Healthy Life and a mango drink labeled Good Life?

2. An easy one. Which brand is being advertised in the print medium with the baseline ‘NOT JUST ANY OTHER SWITCH’?

3. Which MNC is acquiring nearly 70% stake in Hyderabad-based vaccine-maker Shantha Biotechnics for Rs 2,600 crore?

4. Which company will be the title sponsor for the 2010 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup to be held in March?

5. Which business group last week released an ad for its Second Career Internship Programme (SCIP), aimed at women professionals?

6. Which company last week said it had sold its nutrition business, which included brands like Farex, Dexolac and Protinex, to global health company Abbott?

7. Which company last week named cricketers Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja as its brand ambassadors?

8. What milestone did Airtel cross in Sri Lanka recently?

9. Watch maker PA Time Industries last week launched Ssteele, its new range of stainless steel watches. Which other well-known watch brand does the company own?

10. Which company has picked up the title sponsorship of the upcoming Champions League T20 tournament for Rs 170 crore?

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 278

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

1. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), according to a report last week, has given the task of remastering the footage of the 1969 moon landing to Lowry Digital Corporation (LDC), a Hollywood film company. How is LDC connected to Indian business?

2. Business Standard’s 13th annual derby results were unveiled last week. Which two brand launches were voted as the biggest of 2008 by the top marketers of the country?

3. Which US airline was in news last week for frisking former president APJ Abdul Kalam in April?

4. The ‘reloaded’ version of which automobile brand is being advertised in the print medium with the baseline ‘PLAY IT YOUR WAY’?

5. Anil Ambani group has created a new company for its foray into the cement business. What has it been branded as?

6. Yamaha Motor India has launched a new motorcycle. What has it been branded as?

7. According to a report last week, what has been offered as collateral to SBI by Vijay Mallya to raise an Rs 2,000 crore debt?

8. Which company is being advertised in the print medium with the baseline ‘Fuelling Dreams’?

9. Which business personality was last week appointed chairman of Sony India?

10. Which airline in India last week operated the Eclipse Flight S2 2279 to view the solar eclipse from the sky?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 278 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 277

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

1. What unique distinction did State Bank of India claim to achieve on July 12?

2. Which brand has announced the limited edition launch of the world’s first professional golf watch?

3. According to a report last week, McGraw-Hill Co has hired Evercore Partners, an investment bank, to sell which well known magazine?

4. Dutch-Indian model Tamara Moss is the new face of which brand in India for its Women’s Wear Spring Summer ’09 collection?

5. Which well known former chief executive from India has joined US-based buyout firm Advent International, which plans an Indian outfit next year?

6. Which telecom brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘Do the new.’?

7. In one of the largest deals in global cinema in recent years, which Indian business personality has teamed up with noted Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg for their Los Angeles-based production house Dreamworks Studios?

8. To mark what occasion has a new beer, named ‘1209’, been created by John Bexon, head brewer of Greene King brewery in UK?

9. Which cardiac care chain last week launched the world’s largest cancer hospital in Bangalore?

10. Cricketer MS Dhoni is the brand ambassador for which confectionery brand?

11. Why was Mumbai resident Ashok Raghunath Vichare in news last week?

12. Three men were last week arrested in Germany over a failed attempt to blackmail Susanne Klatten. How is Ms Klatten linked to the world of business?

13. Which company has come up with a mascot, a cartoon character named Mr WizeR?

14. Which well known filmmaker, according to a report last week, is ready to launch his news and current affairs channel Maurya TV in Bihar and Jharkhand?

15. Which business personality has been named 2009 CEO of the Year by the Global Supply Chain Leaders Group (GSCLG)?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 277 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 276

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

1. Which Indian business group, according to reports last week, is all set to open its first five star hotel in South Africa in December?

2. Which company last week launched Marine, its first ‘outdoor phone’?

3. Google last week announced that its operating system will be commercially available from the second half of 2010. What will it be branded as?

4. The government’s decision to reduce excise on petrol trucks to 8% in the budget has reportedly benefited only one automobile brand. Which one?

5. According to a report last week, which international sports club is eyeing the Indian market to set up café bars?

6. PepsiCo last week opened a bottling plant in Domodedovo, near Moscow. What is unique about this plant?

7. Which Indian company last week announced that its subsidiary was planning to list on the Dhaka Stock Exchange and the Chittagong Stock Exchange?

8. Which casual dining chain has roped in Bollywood star Lara Dutta to promote its newly launched ‘Cheesy Bites’ range?

9. Which company has bagged the Indian franchise of the World Series of Boxing starting next year?

10. Why was Bundanoon, a rural Australian town, in news last week?

11. China last week detained 4 employees of which MNC on charges of hurting its economic interest?

12. French president Nicholas Sarkozy last week named his new 50 million pounds jet ‘Carla One’ in honor of his third wife Carla Bruni. Which company manufactured the jet?

13. Which country brews the Taedonggang beer?

14. Which automobile brand is being advertised with baseline ‘Go Beyond’?

15. Which brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘Experience change’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 276 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 275

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week June 29 - July 04. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which two well known international automotive brands were launched in India last week?

2. Which Indian company has acquired US’ largest men’s formal-wear clothing, and bankrupt, company Hartmarx Corporation?

3. The Bandra-Worli sea link was inaugurated last week. Which company was the contractor for the project? (The company released a full page ad on the occasion)

4. South Africa-based Fry Foods, which makes meat-like vegetarian products, is entering into a joint venture with Big Five Health Foods (BFHF). Which celebrity’s mother is a promoter in BFHF?

5. According to a first city-specific study of its kind by the International Financial Corporation (IFC), which city is the easiest location to do business in India?

6. Ms Roshni Nadar has been appointed CEO of which company in India?

7. Which business group is picking up a 70% stake in mobile handsets retail chain MobileNXT Teleservices?

8. Which iconic electronics/entertainment brand turned 30 on July 1?

9. With which brand would you associate the animated characters Chouw and Mouw? (TVC currently on air)

10. Why were the companies Burn Standard and Braithwaite in news last week?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 275 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 274

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

1. Satyam Computer Services has been rechristened. What is its new name?

2. Which company last week unveiled a new mascot, a dolphin named ‘DOLLe’?

3. Mr CP Gurnani was last week appointed CEO of which company?

4. Which well known MNC has appointed Ajay Banga as president and chief operating officer with effect from August?

5. Which company last week announced its foray into the salty snacks market with Hippo, a baked salty snack made of wheat?

6. Which company last week launched India’s first handset powered by Android, Google’s operating system software?

7. Which well known business personality was last week appointed chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) in the rank of a cabinet minister?

8. BSNL last week joined hands with which MNC to launch ‘BSNL managed SaaS’ (Software as a Service) in India?

9. Ericsson chief executive Carl-Henric Svanberg is stepping down to become the chairman of which MNC?

10. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh is featured in the advertising campaign of which four wheeler brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 274 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 273

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

1. Which company is buying Hotel Sea Rock, one of Mumbai’s best known landmarks?

2. The annual ‘Brand Equity Most Trusted Brands (MTB) Survey’ by The Economic Times was released last week. Which brand has topped the list for the second year in a row?

3. Which MNC last week said it has signed a deal to sell its Saab unit to a consortium led by Swedish luxury sports car maker Koenigsegg Automotive AB?

4. Which MNC last week launched its car, Grande Punto, in India?

5. Mr MV Nair was last week appointed the new chairman of Indian Bank’s Association (IBA). He is the chairman and managing director of which bank?

6. Which Indian cricketer has been roped in by Swiss luxury watch maker Movado as a brand ambassador?

7. Mr Alok Sharma has quit as the managing director of the Indian operations of which MNC?

8. Which not-for-profit organization started by a well-known business personality has received approval to set up Karnataka’s first private university?

9. Which Italian watch brand has signed on Preity Zinta and Neil Nitin Mukesh as its brand ambassadors?

10. Actors and brothers Salman Khan and Sohail Khan appear in the television commercial for which confectionery brand?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 273 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 272

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

1. Ms Preetha Reddy was last week named the heiress to which business group in India?

2. Palm recently launched its new smart phone in the US to take on Apple’s iPhone. What has it been branded as?

3. Which business school in India has, according to a news item last week, roped in Shah Rukh Khan to host its annual business and marketing quiz for the next 3 years?

4. Jewellery major and exporter Gitanjali Group will soon set up a second joint venture with which middle east-based jewellery retailer to launch a new brand to rival Tanishq?

5. Tata Teleservices Ltd. (TTSL) last week unveiled its GSM services. What has it been branded as?

6. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘Why so serious?’?

7. Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. last week launched its internationally successful premium sports utility vehicle (SUV) in India. Name the brand?

8. Samsung last week launched the Guru e1107 handset in India. What is unique about it?

9. Nadathur Holdings, the investment arm of NS Raghavan, has acquired majority stake in Bangkok-based BMC Management, which operates a chain of boutique hotels and resorts in Thailand and Malaysia. Mr Raghavan is one of the founders of which well known company?

10. What unique distinction has been achieved by Nokia’s manufacturing facility in Chennai?

11. Which company last week bought Goa-based VS Dempo Mining Corporation for Rs 1,750 crore?

12. Which MNC last week launched its first international television commercial, ‘Library’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 272 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 271

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

1. According to the 2009 edition of the Black Book of Outsourcing, brought out by US-based Brown-Wilson group, 8 Indian cities figure in the list of world’s 25 riskiest places for offshoring. Which city has been ranked as the riskiest in the world?

2. Which iconic MNC filed for bankruptcy on last Monday?

3. Mr KC Chakrabarthy was last week elected chairman of the Indian Bank’s Association. He is the chairman and managing director of which bank?

4. Which MNC last week entered into a definitive agreement to acquire software vendor Wind River Systems for a consideration of about $884 million?

5. Frito-Lay India, the food division of PepsiCo India, last week launched its new brand of snacks. What has it been branded as?

6. Nokia last week launched its touch-screen mobile device in New Delhi. What has it been branded as?

7. German luxury car manufacturer Audi last week launched its sports utility vehicle in India. What has it been branded as?

8. Which company last week launched its designer furniture range – Starline?

9. Which brand has launched a commercial (currently on air) featuring Bipasha Basu and MS Dhoni and the tagline ‘Your Move’?

10. Which company, according to a report last week, has made arrangements to use a remixed version of the Jai Ho track of Slumdog Millionaire fame, created by AR Rahman in a TV commercial?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 271 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 270

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

1. Mr Atul Sobti was last week elevated to the position of CEO and MD in which company?

2. N Chandrasekharan will take over as the CEO of which well known company in India?

3. Why was Mr Phuthuma Nhelko in news last week?

4. Which MNC last week launched its new range of laptops and desktops, including Gateway and eMachines product lines?

5. Which two brands from India figure among the global top-five fast-growing vodka list, according to UK-based research digest The Spirits Business?

6. Which celebrity has been signed on as a brand ambassador by Reliance GSM?

7. Microsoft is launching its new search engine on June 3 to compete more effectively with Google. What has it been branded as?

8. Which automobile company in India last week elevated Mr Prakash M Telang as its new managing director?

9. Supermodel turned actor, Milind Soman will endorse a men’s hair colour brand by Elder Health Care. What has it been branded as?

10. Which MNC has launched a new global multi-million dollar marketing campaign with a new tagline, called 'Sponsors of Tomorrow’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 270 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 269

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

1. Which celebrity has been roped in as a brand ambassador by VIP Industries?

2. Tata Teleservices last week launched its new wireline broadband service offering in four cities. What has it been branded as?

3. Marico has filed a trademark infringement suit against which company for infringing its Kaya skin care brand?

4. Which Indian comic books publisher is all set to launch its television channel in India by the same name in January 2010?

5. Which Indian business group has entered the IT segment by acquiring Melstar Information Technologies, an application development software services company?

6. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘Live the moment’?

7. Captain Gopinath, founder of Air Deccan, recently launched a cargo airline. What has it been branded as?

8. The Calcutta Stock Exchange Association Ltd has decided to change its name. What is the new name?

9. The new version of which automobile brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘START DISCOVERING’?

10. International Olive Council (IOC), an inter-governmental organization that looks after the interests of olive oil and table olives, has announced which well known Indian advertising personality as its brand ambassador?

11. Which well known international business publication has recently launched its India edition?

12. Scandic Food India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Denmark-based processed food firm Good Food Group, is relaunching which brand in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 269 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 268

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

1. Which company, according to a report last week, is hitting the liquor market with a super premium brandy, Morpheus, this month?

2. US-based brand and reputation management consulting firm, Reputation Institute has named five Indian firms among the top 50 in its annual list of world’s most reputed companies. Which Indian firm/group has been ranked 11th?

3. Mr Madhu Kannan has been appointed managing director and chief executive officer of which institution/organization in India?

4. Mr Vaidyanathan has been appointed managing director and chief executive of which insurance company in India?

5. Which Indian business personality has been awarded the Nikkei Asia Prize for 2009?

6. Which company last week claimed to have now become India’s biggest music company?

7. Which MNC last week announced that Beijing Olympics bronze medal winner and boxing champion Vijender Singh will be its new brand ambassador?

8. Which Indian bank has entered into an agreement with Visa to issue debit cards in the US?

9. TDSAT member JS Sarma last week took over as the chairman of which regulatory body in India?

10. Which MNC has developed the world’s fastest central processing unit (CPU)?

11. Which milestone did Bharti Airtel cross last week?

12. Maruti Suzuki India last week launched its new premium hatchback. What has it been branded as?

13. Which Indian company has acquired Australia-based UCMS Group for $40.7 million (Rs 200 crore)?

14. NDTV last week launched an English news and entertainment channel in Chennai in partnership with well known organization?

15. Which Indian company last week said it will spend 10 million euro on buying a majority stake in French firm Uniross SA?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 268 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 267

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

1. Which well known government/regulatory executive in India has been offered an appointment as distinguished consulting professor at the Stanford Centre for International Development at Stanford University?

2. Sahara Group has picked up an 11.7% stake in which telecom company in India?

3. According to a report last week, which FMCG major is set to launch a chain of fast food joints, the first of which is slated to open in Puducherry in June?

4. Which global consumer electronics major has launched the Asian Games 2010 promotional activity “Road of Asia” campaign in India?

5. Which company last week launched a low-cost realty project offering a one-room flat for less than Rs 4 lakhs?

6. Three Indian-origin CEOs have figured among the best US chief executives in the seventh annual listing of best American CEOs by the Institutional Investor magazine. Name them?

7. Which business personality has been voted as the best CEO in India as per the Finance Asia magazine’s annual poll of investors and analysts?

8. Jet Airways last week announced the launch of a new all-economy, no-frills service. What has it been branded as?

9. Which company last week unveiled its brand for zero spangled steel products, which will be called Galvano?

10. Which Indian company last week signed a five-year multi-million dollar content deal with Manchester United, the world’s second richest football club after Real Madrid?

11. Why was Ben Southall of Britain in news last week?

12. Which celebrity will be the face of Garnier Men, a new range of grooming products designed specifically for men by L’Oreal, in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 267 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 266

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week April 27 - May 02. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which well known business personality has emerged as the richest person in the UK, according to a Sunday Times Rich List of 1,000 richest persons in the UK?

2. Which brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘Andar se solid’?

3. Which Indian business personality was last week awarded with the Order of the British Empire (OBE)?

4. Which MNC last week signed a strategic technology alliance with Hyderabad-based FxLabs to foster game development?

5. Mahindra & Mahindra has launched another revamped version of its SUV Scorpio. What has it been branded as?

6. Fonterra Cooperative group, the world’s largest diary exporter, has agreed to sell its stake in an Indian milk products venture to its partner. Name the Indian partner?

7. The Essar group telecom retailing company, The MobileStore is close to launching its private label with an initial portfolio of four handsets. What has it been branded as?

8. Bharti Airtel last week entered into a joint-venture with which MNC to manage its landline and broadband business?

9. In a move unprecedented in the Indian insurance sector, which company has decided to integrate key functions in its life and general insurance companies?

10. According to the Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list compiled by Millward Brown, which brand has become the world’s first $100 billion brand?

11. Dabur India last week launched a new fruit beverage. What has it been branded as?

12. Mr Arvind Jadhav has been appointed full-time chairman and managing director of which aviation company in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 266 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 265

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

1. According to a report last week, the chief electoral office of Delhi has roped in which well-known MNC to encourage young voters to exercise their franchise in Lok Sabha elections on May 7?

2. Who was last week appointed MD & CEO of Axis Bank?

3. Which MNC will be acquiring Sun Microsystems for $7.3 billion?

4. Which MNC has agreed to buy Stiefel Laboratories Inc, a closely-held US drug maker, for $2.9 billion in cash?

5. Which MNC has agreed to sell its Brazilian banking operations to Andre Esteves, the former head of the business, for $2.5 billion to reduce risk and free up capital?

6. Which company has acquired the enterprise mobile TV unit owned by Finland-based leading mobile phone manufacturer Nokia for an undisclosed sum?

7. Which company last week launched the worlds smallest Bhagwad Gita on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya inscribed in pure gold?

8. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the tourism arm of railways, plans to launch its first super luxury train, Maharajas’ Express, in January next year under a joint venture with which company?

9. Danish firm ISS Facility Services India last week acquired the pest control services division of which business group?

10. Which company is set to introduce a premium German cosmetic brand called ‘Be Yu’ in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 265 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 264

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

1. Which company last week won the bid to acquire Satyam?

2. New York-based Bergguen Hotels plans to open five new hotels in India in the next one year under its mid-market brand. Name the brand?

3. Titan Industries has introduced a collection of mechanical self-winding watches, another offer in the premium range. What has it been branded as?

4. According to a report last week, Future Group is picking up a 60% stake in an advertising agency. Which one?

5. Which Indian company has been adjudged the best employer in Asia in the hospitality sector by the global human resources consulting and outsourcing firm, Hewitt Associates?

6. Which celebrity has been roped in by Jaypee Cement as its brand ambassador?

7. Which cricketer last week sold licensing rights to his name as a brand to Delhi-based License India for an undisclosed sum?

8. Which business personality was last week elevated to the position of group GM and country head at HSBC India?

9. Which integrated value added services provider was last week renamed as Comviva Technologies Ltd?

10. Which company has unveiled India’s largest T-Shirt, with dimensions of 40 feet in height and 30 feet in width and weighing 50 kg, at the Ambience Mall, Gurgaon?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 264 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 263

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

1. Which brand has appointed Shruti Hassan (Kamal Hassan’s daughter) and Raghav Sachar as its brand ambassadors and has also released a music video ‘Ho Jaane De’ featuring them?

2. Which brand is being advertised across media with the baseline ‘It’s time to move on…’?

3. Which instant/convenience food brand celebrated its 25th anniversary last week?

4. Which company will be the principal sponsor for Rajasthan Royals, the Jaipur franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL)?

5. Which company has announced that it has been rated India’s number one green brand and among the top five global green brands in the world as per the latest edition of Greenpeace’s “Guide to Greener Electronics” rankings released last week?

6. Which well-known MNC last week bought a minority stake in Innocent Drinks, a UK-based maker of fruit smoothies and vegetable dishes?

7. Which MNC will introduce its world famous sports utility vehicle (SUV) ‘Fortuner’ in India by September?

8. Former actor Twinkle Khanna was last week arrested and released on bail. Name the brand involved?

9. 47 Indian companies have made it to the list of world’s biggest 2000 companies, released by US magazine Forbes last week. Which company has topped the list?

10. Which three Indian entities feature in BusinessWeek’s list of world’s 50 most innovative companies?

11. Zee Muzic, the 24-hour music channel from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), has been rebranded. What is the new name?

12. Actor Perizaad Zorabian can be seen in television commercial for which bank?

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

BIz Quizzard 262

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week March 30 - April 04. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which business personality has become the first Indian to join the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace?

2. Mr Fritz Henderson is the new CEO of which well known MNC?

3. Phillipe Varin will replace Christian Streiff as the chief executive of which European auto major?

4. Mr Habil Khorakiwala last week stepped down as the MD of which Indian pharma major?

5. Mr Krishnakumar Natarajan is the new MD and CEO of which Indian software firm?

6. Mr Bharat Patel has resigned as the chairman of board of directors of the Indian operations of which FMCG MNC?

7. Which insurance company last week released ads in the print medium to announce its new look, with the positioning ‘Thoda Simple Socho’?

8. IT industry veteran and venture capitalist Saurabh Srivastava has joined as the chairman of the Indian operations of which software MNC?

9. Which business personality has topped The Economic Times Corporate Dossier ‘India Inc’s Most Powerful CEOs’ list?

10. Mumbai and New Delhi are among the world’s 10 most expensive cities for the expatriates to live in, according to a survey by global HR consultancy Mercer. Which city is the most expensive?

11. Who has taken over as the new chairman of National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) for 2009-10?

12. Cricketer Zaheer Khan has been roped in as a brand ambassador by which FMCG major and will be endorsing its new ‘Sar Se Panv Tak Zabardast Energy’ campaign?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 262 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 261

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

1. Which airport in India has been rated as the fifth most service-oriented among the world’s top 10 airports in a global survey?

2. Which brand is being advertised with the positioning ‘now you can’?

3. Which company has introduced a new malt beer brand, Indus Pride Premium Lager?

4. Which two-wheeler brand is being advertised in the print medium with the baseline ‘live off the edge’?

5. According to a report last week, Wonderla Holdings is looking at acquiring more land in Mumbai where it plans to establish the group’s third amusement park. The company is part of which business group (a known household brand related to consumer electronics)?

6. Just days after the launch of nano, which business group in India launched a bicycle worth Rs 2 lakh?

7. Which global fashion design house last week signed an agreement with DLF Brands, the retail arm of real estate major DLF Group, for its India entry?

8. Shyam Sistema Televentures last week launched its CDMA mobile services in the unified circle of Tamil Nadu & Chennai under which brand?

9. Which Indian company has tied up with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to buy 51 per cent in a Russian packaging and distribution company called Grand?

10. RPG Enterprises is all set to launch a general interest magazine on April 3. What has it been branded as?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 261 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 260

Biz Quizzard completes 5 years with this edition. 5 years without missing a single week. Biz Quizzard started its journey with Biz Quizzard 1 being posted on March 21, 2004 on Quinkie, a Yahoogroup dedicated to business quizzes and started by my friend Murali Duggineni. Quinkie presently has 2600+ members. Would like to thank all of you for being part of this journey.

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

1. Which MNC is acquiring Xcel Telecom, a tower company founded by former BPL Mobile chief executive Sandeep Basu?

2. Which brand from the stable of Vijay Mallya’s United Spirits is now among the world’s top three selling rum brands?

3. ET NOW, the soon-to-be-launched business television channel from the Times Group, has inked a pioneering content-sharing agreement with which MNC?

4. Which Indian company has bagged a 7-year $350-million total IT services outsourcing contract from media firm The Reader’s Digest Association (RDA)?

5. Which consumer electronics MNC last week named Takashi Kawamura as its new president, chief executive and chairman?

6. The Amas Bank (Switzerland) Ltd last week announced that it has changed its name. What will it be now known as?

7. Dell Inc last week unveiled what it called the world’s thinnest notebook. What has it been branded as?

8. The country’s oldest mobile telecom service provider BPL Mobile has changed its name. What is the new brand?

9. The government of which foreign country, according to reports last week, is seeking to pick up a 20% stake in a telecom service provider currently offering mobile services in Rajasthan?

10. In what looks like a first in the country, which state government has asked liquor baron Gurdeep Singh, aka Ponty Chadha, to manage the liquor business on its behalf?

11. Which company last week launched India’s first 3G enabled BlackBerry?

12. Which MNC is transferring its towers and other related infrastructure that carry communication signals into a separate company called Ortus Infratel and Holdings?

13. Which company has forayed into branded cold drinks segment with the launch of T!ON?

14. Which confectionery brand has signed on film actor Genelia D’Souza (of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na fame) as its brand ambassador?

15. Which celebrity has been signed on by Levi Strauss to endorse its Signature range of jeans, T-shirts, woven shirts, jackets and accessories?

16. Which company has introduced new products such as Raag Gold refined palmolien oil, King’s range of refined oils, Bullet brand mustard oils and coconut oil under the brand name Ivory?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 260 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 259

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

1. Which MNC last week said it is acquiring Schering Plough for $41.1 billion in cash and stock deal to create a $47 billion drug major?

2. Which two-wheeler brand is being advertised in the print medium with the baseline ‘BECAUSE MUSCLES MATTER’?

3. Which MNC is acquiring Radhakrishna Hospitality Services Group (RKHS), India’s pioneer in food and facilities management sector?

4. Which company last week announced the launch of its new venture christened Fabric Spa?

5. Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL), known for manufacturing contraceptives and other healthcare products, has renamed itself. What will it be known as?

6. Vibgyor Vehicles last week rolled out a 100-cc motorcycle in Kolkata. What has it been branded as?

7. According to a report last week, Hardcastle Restaurants is now venturing into the apparel business. The company is the joint venture partner of which well known MNC?

8. Which business personality has replaced Lakshmi Mittal as the richest Indian in the latest Forbes list of world’s richest billionaires?

9. Which MNC bank last week appointed former US ambassador to India David Mulford as its Vice Chairman International?

10. Who is the Business Standard CEO of the year 2007-08?

11. Which country last week blasted Forbes magazine for its latest list of world’s richest?

12. Which technology marked its 20th anniversary on March 13?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 259 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 258

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

1. Which company last week dedicated India’s tallest flag pole to the nation?

2. Which Indian company last week launched an offer to acquire ICT Group Inc (ICTG), a Nasdaq-listed firm based out of US, for around $130 million in cash?

3. Tata Motors last week unveiled a concept luxury sedan at the Geneva Motor Show. What has it been branded as?

4. Staying on with Tata Motors and the Geneva Motor Show, the company also unveiled an international version of Nano. What has it been branded as?

5. Suzuki Motorcyle India has launched an 1800 cc bike with an ex-showroom price of Rs 12.5 lakhs. What has it been branded as?

6. Which company has bought the exclusive rights to use Jai Ho (the Oscar winning song from Slumdog Millionaire) for political campaigning? (company, not political party)

7. Mr S Sridhar has been appointed chairman and managing director of which bank in India?

8. Universal Music last week unveiled a new music CD (its 10th commemorative album) 'Woman, Sweet 10 Diamonds’ in Tokyo. What is unique about it?

9. Turner International last week joined hands with Warner Brothers to launch a 24-hour English entertainment channel in India. What has it been branded as?

10. AgroTech Foods Ltd, affiliate of ConAgra Foods, US, has forayed into bread spread segment with the launch of peanut butter. What has it been branded as?

11. Four Indians have made it to Forbes magazine’s list of 48 Asian philanthropists this year. Name them?

12. Which business personality will be featured as a comic book hero?

13. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘FITS NO LABEL’?

14. Which well known company in India last week unveiled a new corporate identity after three and half decades?

15. Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI), which owns Sony Entertainment Network, has acquired a regional movie channel. Which one?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 258 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizard 257

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

1. Which automobile brand is being advertised in the print medium with the baseline ‘Drive me crazy’?

2. Tennis ace Sania Mirza can be seen in the television commercial (currently on air) for which two-wheeler brand?

3. Mr Bhavdeep Singh was last week appointed CEO of which healthcare company?

4. Which MNC automaker last week named Takanobu Ito as its new chief executive?

5. MRF last week launched a new series of tyres branded as MRF Wanderer. It has been specially designed for which segment?

6. Which FMCG company has roped in Preity Zinta as a brand ambassador for its shampoo range?

7. According to a news report last week, retail major Future Group is all set to ink a 50:50 joint venture with the promoters of which company to launch a India-oriented lifestyle brand, Holii?

8. Which US-based IT MNC last week appointed William Bauman as the head of its India Technology Centre in Hyderabad?

9. Which brand is claiming to be the fastest car model to reach the 3-lakh milestone in India?

10. Which Indian infrastructure company has acquired 100% stake in Indonesia-based PT Barasentosa Lestari (BSL), a company which holds a 30-year legal coal mining licence in that country?

11. Tata Motors last week launched a lifestyle pick-up vehicle. What has it been branded as?

12. BSNL last week launched its 3G services. What has it been branded as?

13. Which MNC has rolled out Project Vikas for the pharmaceutical manufacturing cluster of Hyderabad to enhance IT awareness?

14. PepsiCo India last week introduced a lemon juice under its 7Up brand. What has it been branded as?

15. Which business group last week announced its foray into the baby care segment with the launch of Puretta, natural and biodegradable baby wipes?

16. Which brand last week signed up Tamil actor Vijay as its brand ambassador in Tamil Nadu?

17. According to a report last week, super cop Kiran Bedi will be endorsing a brand for the first time. Which one?

18. Which MNC last week launched ‘AURA”, a hand-sculpted mobile phone that costs Rs 1.11 lakh?

19. The India Today Group last week launched which popular fashion and celebrity magazine from the stable of US-based Hearst Magazines?

20. Which MNC has rolled out its next global integrated marketing campaign, Open Happiness, in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 257 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 256

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

1. Which brand has become the first-ever non-tobacco consumer goods brand to cross the Rs 2,000-crore mark in India?

2. Which company has made a foray into the luxury segment with the launch of Zoya, a high-end diamond jewellery boutique store chain?

3. The India Rizing Fund was launched in Bangalore recently. What is its significance?

4. Why was Mr Ashok Samani, a Mumbai-based stock broker, in news recently?

5. The new edition of Hyundai Sonata Embera has been launched. What has it been branded as?

6. Which international celebrity singer heads his own clothing line, William Rast?

7. Which automobile brand is being advertised in the print medium with the baseline ‘Feel It’?

8. Which business group has announced its initial foray into boat manufacture under the brand name Odyssea?

9. Which celebrity has been roped in by Procter & Gamble (P&G) as the brand ambassador for its Pantene brand of shampoo, replacing Sushmita Sen?

10. Actor Hrithik Roshan can be seen in the advertisement for which shampoo brand?

11. Mr Kunal Dasgupta last week quit as the CEO of which television channel?

12. Which brand has retained the top position in ‘Buzziest Brands of the Year 2009’ poll conducted by afaqs?

Please mail your answers on or befoe next Sunday (Mar 1) to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with bIz Quizzard 256 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 255

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

1. According to a news snippet last week, who will replace Rajeev Chandrasekhar as the president of FICCI?

2. According to the latest market data compiled by AC Nielsen, which brand has trounced PepsiCo’s flagship Pepsi to emerge as the number 2 in the pecking order of soft drink sales in India?

3. Which MNC has picked up a 20% stake in Affle Holding, a Singapore based company, which owns and offers a mobile marketing platform, SMS 2.0 in India, Malaysia and Thailand, besides Singapore?

4. Mr Satish Kumar is stepping down as the MD of which FMCG MNC in India?

5. General Motors last week launched a special edition of its compact car Spark. What has it been branded as?

6. According to reports last week, which Indian FMCG major is entering China with oral and hair care products?

7. Which software company has acquired Canada-based Active Intelligence (AI) for an undisclosed sum?

8. Which milestone was crossed recently in the mobile phone industry worldwide?

9. Amara Raja Batteries has entered into a tie-up with which auto major to launch co-branded replacement battery ‘Amaron MGB’?

10. Which actor has topped Forbes’ ‘Star Currency’ list to be named the most bankable actor in Hollywood?

11. Actor Shahid Kapur can be seen in the television commercial for which car audio system brand?

12. Which automobile brand is being advertised in the print medium with the baseline ‘Makes sense. In every sense.’?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 255 as the answer.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 254

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

1. GeoPost, the French government-owned postal services firm, has been finally allowed to pick a majority stake in which privately-held Indian express parcel delivery firm?

2. Which Indian business group has fully acquired the Indian subsidiary of Dubai-based mobile and IT products retailer, Cellucom?

3. Which company last week announced that its cash-and-carry wholesale stores would be named ‘BestPrice Modern Wholesale’?

4. Which celebrity, along with partner, last week picked up an 11.7% stake in Rajasthan Royals, the Jaipur franchise of the IPL?

5. Which MNC last week launched the ‘Internet Bus’ in India?

6. Which brand in men’s toiletries and personal care products last week launched new product variants Ice Rock, Lagoon and Sport?

7. Which Hindi entertainment channel has bought the rights to the game show format “Who wants to be a millionaire?” from Sony Pictures Television, after Star Plus held the rights (Kaun Banega Crorepati) for 8 years?

8. In the latest Forbes’ list of the world’s ten richest CEOs, which Indian personality has grabbed the 3rd spot?

9. Who has been named the new CEO of Satyam Computer?

10. Which Indian retail company has formed a joined venture with Inditex Group to develop and promote the latter’s Zara stores in India?

11. Which well known hospitality and travel firm, along with its Indian partner, Bristo Hospitality, plans to introduce a new restaurant brand, Friday’s American Bar (FAB)?

12. Which well known business personality last week invested $2.6 billion in world no. 2 reinsurer Swiss Re?

13. Which chief executive from India has been conferred the award of the ‘Best Executive 2008’ under the category of Asia’s best companies and executives by Asiamoney, Asia’s leading financial magazine?

14. Mr Asim Ghosh will be retiring as the CEO of which MNC in India on March 31?

15. Reliance Big Entertainment last week announced it has signed deals with Red Om Films and Breft Ratner’s Rat Entertainment, widening its Hollywood presence. Which well known international celebrity owns Red Om Films?

16. Charles W Goodyear will succeed Ho Ching as the chief executive of which state-owned investment company?

17. Big Entertainment, the media vertical of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, last week launched its movie and entertainment marketing division. What has it been branded as?

18. Which FMCG company last week announced the appointment of Dalip Sehgal as its new managing director?

19. According to a report last week, which retail company plans to launch private labels in a number of personal care products under its brand ‘Enriche’ by March this year?

20. NDTV Convergence, the digital arm of NDTV group, has launched a dedicated video aggregation portal. What has it been branded as?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 254 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 253

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week January 26 - 31. Hope you enjoy it.

1. 125-year-old Hartmarx Corporation, the largest maker of men’s tailored clothing in the US, was in news recently for 2 reasons. US president Barack Obama, a regular customer, wore its suit for the inauguration ceremony. What was the other reason?

2. Which MNC last week said it would acquire US rival Wyeth for around $68 million in a move to diversify its revenue base?

3. Mr R Sridhar has been appointed chief financial officer (CFO) for which MNC in India?

4. Which business school in India has been ranked number 15 in the global B-School rankings by the Financial Times, London?

5. Which MNC in India is putting two regional brands – Moloy sandal soap and Mahabringol hair oil – for sale?

6. Mr Ganesh Ayyar, currently vice president with Hewlett Packard, is joining which IT and BPO services firm as CEO?

7. Which Indian company last week said it had acquired a controlling stake in ‘Clinique Darne’ hospital in Mauritius, in a joint venture initiative with industrial group CIEL?

8. Which FMCG major has entered into an alliance with Coty, a Paris-based fragrance marketer, to market the latter’s entire ‘adidas’ personal care range in India?

9. Which mutual fund company has emerged as the best fund house in the country for 2008, according to a Hong Kong-based journal, Asia Asset Management?

10. Which brand has launched the campaign ‘Hindustan bol raha hai’ (TVCs currently on air)?

11. Which Indian company has claimed to be the first telecom operator to have a presence in the virtual world with a mass media campaign?

12. Which media group will launch and distribute the high-end urban music and lifestyle channel, Trace, in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 253 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 252

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

1. Which company last week made a quite foray into retail with the launch of its specialty format 'Mom & Me' to sell infant care and maternity products?

2. Which Indian company last week signed a multi-million dollar contract to assist Italy’s Ducati Motor Holding in better asset management and vastly improve business efficiency?

3. Which Indian business personality will co-chair the forthcoming World Economic Forum annual meeting 2009 at Davos, Switzerland?

4. Shakti Bhog last week announced its foray into the health foods and ready-to-eat business. Which celebrity has been roped in as the brand ambassador?

5. According to a report last week, 21-year-old Siddharth has joined the London office of Diageo, the makers of iconic brands like Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, as a management trainee. Who is Siddharth?

6. Times Internet last week launched a new portal for Indian women. What has it been branded as?

7. Tata Motors last week launched its pre-owned car business in major cities. What has it been branded as?

8. French pen and stationery manufacturer BIC has picked up 40% stake in which Mumbai-based stationery products maker for Rs 800 crore?

9. Which brand last week launched a new campaign ‘THE POWER OF ideas’?

10. Which company last week made its first foray into pure-play retail with the launch of its new format Helios?

11. Prime Minister recently unveiled the logo of the soon-to-be-launched business channel of Times Global Broadcasting. What has it been branded as?

12. Which celebrity has been roped in to endorse the Ford Endeavour, the sports utility vehicle (SUV) from the Ford India stable?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 252 as the subject.

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rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 251

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

1. According to a report last week, which well known business personality has recently bought a property in Kalakshetra Colony, Chennai for a whopping Rs 11 crore?

2. Which company last week said that it has become the largest baby corn exporter in the country with its shipments exceeding 200 tonne from Punjab?

3. The recently released Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ is the first Bollywood film of which well known international production house?

4. In which country did Bharti Airtel launch mobile services last week?

5. Which iconic German fashion house has unveiled a sourcing deal with Hyderabad-based Pokarna Group, makers of Stanza brand?

6. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘i GOT IT ALL’?

7. Fiat India Automobiles last week launched its luxury sedan. What has it been branded as?

8. Which MNC last week said it bought French company Sekkoia SAS, which makes board game Blokus?

9. According to a report last week, Altima India Master Fund Ltd has moved a resolution to replace 2 directors at The India Film Company (IFC), acquirers and distributors of such blockbusters as Jab We Met, Welcome, Singh is Kinng and Ghajini. Which business personality is the principal promoter of IFC and one of the 2 directors being sought to be removed?

10. Which automobile brand was launched last week with the positioning “The era of sedans is over”?

11. The TV9 Group launched an English news channel in Bengaluru on January 9. What has it been branded as?

12. Which brand is being advertised (TVC currently on air) with the baseline 'Ab ghar kare khud ki hifaazat'?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 251 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli