Biz Quizzard 500

500 weeks, 500 quizzes. Biz Quizzard celebrates its 500th edition this week. A big thanks to Quinkie members and everyone else. Coincidentally, if my memory serves me right, this week's edition also boasts of the highest number of questions in any edition till date.

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

1. Which Indian business personality has been ranked 4th on Fortune magazine's global list of top-50 women business leaders (excluding those from USA)?

2. Which business personality has retained her second position on the list for most powerful business women in the US, complied by Fortune magazine?

3. Which company has picked up a 33% stake in a company jointly owned by Reliance Industries and IMG that’s set to launch an Indian Premier League-style football tournament starting January?

4. Which auditing firm has forayed into the energy services business by acquiring a majority stake in General Carbon, a sustainability and energy advisory service company?

5. Which company plans to launch a completely new premium hatchback - code named ‘YRA’ - within the next two years?

6. Which Delhi-based law firm will merge with Mumbai-based Rajani Associates in a move to gain a footprint in leading metros in the country?

7. Stan Lee, the writer of Spiderman, Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Hulk, has created an Indian hero for the first time. What is he called?

8. Which company has launched two India-made premium sparkling wines `Chandon Brut' and `Chandon Brut Rose'?

9. There are no permanent enemies in business. Which MNC has announced that its DoubleClick unit would soon allow its ad clients buy ads on Facebook?

10. The tourism board of which country has launched a marketing campaign made especially for Indian tourists, with the tagline ‘Leave Curious, Return Inspired’?

11. Which company is making a foray into Telugu cinema with superstar Mahesh Babu, in a film to be written and directed by Koratala Siva?

12. Which MNC has said it would invest $50 million in a lubricant oil blending plant near Mumbai, its first in India?

13. Which city has topped the list of 21 best business destinations in the country ranked on the basis of socio-economic and infrastructure factors, according to a combined study?

14. Which Tokyo-based MNC is adopting English as its official language, joining a small group of Japanese companies using language to declare their global ambitions?

15. Which company has launched a coffee blend, India Estates Blend, exclusively for the Indian market?

16. Tarun Chugh has been appointed managing director of which insurance company?

17. Which business family is foraying into the healthcare space in the country and has formed a joint venture with founders of UK-based Healthcare At Home with plans to invest around Rs 200 crore?

18. Which MNC has entered the Limca Book of Records with its Care4Food campaign?

19. Which brand recently organized the 'March for Purity' walkathon in Bengaluru?

20. Apple last week unveiled a slimmer and faster tablet. What has it been branded as?

21. Musafir.com, a UAE-based travel portal, launched its India operations last week. Which Indian celebrity is a minority stakeholder and brand ambassador of the portal?

22. Which MNC has acquired the Indian advertising and communications agency, Beehive Communication?

23. Which brand has won a legal battle for ‘Kafty Glue’ trademark against stationery and office products maker Atul Paper?

24. Which MNC will close its music app, which was introduced with great fanfare six months ago but has failed to gain traction in the marketplace?

25. Which hospitality brand unveiled a new brand identity, inspired by the thought ‘make every moment magical’, and a new logo inspired by Buddhist mandalas?

26. Which MNC has emerged as the world’s best multinational company to work for, in a list of 25 companies compiled by human resources consultancy ‘Great Place to Work Institute’?

27. Private equity company Actis has bought a “significant stake” in which Indore-based pharma company for $48 million?

28. Which international bank last week marked its re-entry into India after five years by opening a branch in Mumbai?

29. Members of Tiger 21, a New York-based group of wealthy investors, have selected which company as the favourite stock pick in an annual survey of preferred investments?

30. Which company plans to run an exclusive chicken restaurant chain, to be called ‘Chicken came First’ (CCF), in India?

31. Which MNC has unveiled a new technology called uProxy that allows citizens under some regimes to bypass government censorship or surveillance software to surf the Web?

32. Which MNC last week unveiled its first tablet in Abu Dhabi?

33. Which brand is India’s most attractive food & beverage brand, according to the India's Most Attractive Brands 2013 (MAB 2013) report by TRA (Trust Research Advisory)?

34. Consumer products maker Dabur will soon enter the packaged milkshake market under which brand?

35. Which company is gearing up to woo smokers with an antidote - Kwiknic nicotine chewing gums?

36. Which company is planning to sell its bakery foods subsidiary, Daily Bread, four years after acquiring the gourmet retailer?

37. Which Indian celebrity has been appointed goodwill ambassador for South Korea?

38. Which UK-based property consultant has elevated Shishir Baijal as chairman and managing director of its India unit?

39. Which company, promoted by Alok Sharma, former president of Air Sahara, has applied to the ministry of civil aviation for permission to start a scheduled airline?

40. Which iconic brand last week announced the re-launch of its cooking oil range in Punjab and Haryana markets?

41. October 24, 2013 marked the 20 years of the second coming of which MNC into India?

42. Ronnie Screwvala will step down as the managing director of which company on June 30 next year?

43. Which chief executive has set a new record for corporate compensation in 2012 with a package worth over $2.278 billion, according to a survey by GMI Rating?

44. Who remains the richest Indian with assets of $18.9 billion, according to the China-based Hurun India Rich List?

45. Which MNC has topped the list of 20 most sought after employers in India, compiled by professional networking site LinkedIn?

46. Which steel company has entered into the retail segment with the launch of Panther brand TMT bars?

47. Which company has tied up with the makers of Hrithik Roshan starrer superhero film Krrish 3 to launch a range of ice-creams?

48. Which MNC has acquired image-recognition startup LookFlow to bring the technology to its photo sharing service?

49. Which company has produced the first indigenised chopper cabin for its joint venture with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation?

50. Which American brand, that has made shoes for many US presidents, Millard Fillmore to Barack Obama, has forayed into India?

51. Which MNC would become the first foreign investor to own 100% of an Indian telecom company?

52. Which MNC last week appointed Sunil Mathur as its new India chief executive officer?

53. Which MNC has teamed up with eBay to bring the first Firefox OS-powered phone to India?

54. Philips Lighting has signed on which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

55. Which company is the only one from India / Asia to be featured in Science Magazine’s Top 20 Global Employers for 2013 in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 500 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 499

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

1. American cafe chain Starbucks has started serving which Indian brand at its outlets in Singapore?

2. Hong Kong-based handset maker and distributor Sunstrike has launched its smart phones in northern India. Name the brand?

3. Which MNC has acquired tech company Bread?

4. The world’s fifth largest auditing and accounting firm has just reentered the country for the third time by roping in MZSK & Associates as its new partner. Name it?

5. Which men's grooming brand has launched its India-specific campaign 'Mantastic'?

6. Which company has joined hands with Dubai-based Riva Group of Companies to launch Excel Media?

7. Which company has sold its Hong Kong unit - a primary healthcare chain - to insurance major Bupa for $355 million?

8. Why were Eugene F Fama, Robert J Shiller and Lars Peter Hansen in news last week?

9. Which business school from India has been ranked 39th globally in The Economist full-time MBA Programmes Ranking 2013?

10. Which company has become the first in India to achieve turnover or sales of more than Rs 1 lakh crore in a quarter?

11. Which company has launched its first android-based tablet PC, App Star, designed for kids above 4 years?

12. Which MNC has announced that it is appointing Angela Ahrendts, currently the CEO of Burberry, as its SVP of retail and online stores?

13. Mr Hans Riegel, 90, died in Bonn last week. His company makes which iconic candy brand?

14. Which television channel has repositioned itself as a youthful channel with a new tagline, 'Stay Amazed.'?

15. Which brand is the ‘most attractive brand’ in the country according to ‘India's Most Attractive Brand 2013’, a research-based report by Trust Research Advisory?

16. Who has topped the list of highest paid actors on U.S. television by Forbes magazine?

17. Cycling event Godrej Eon Tour De India has roped in which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

18. GSK Consumer Healthcare is extending which brand from its stable into the biscuits category?

19. Which business personality has been elected the new chairperson of the Public Health Foundation of India (PFHI) for a term of three years?

20. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) is celebrating which milestone?

21. Which luxury fashion magazine has been re-launched in India by the Maxposure Media Group?

22. Which business personality is building an independent media organization, spearheaded by big names including ex-Guardian correspondent Glenn Greenwald?

23. Which MNC bank last week said it will discontinue its retail broking and depository business in India?

24. Which Canada-based e-reader maker last week entered the Indian market with the launch of four devices?

25. WinWinD, a wind turbine maker based in Finland, has filed for bankruptcy. Which business personality holds a controlling stake in the company?

26. Which MNC has announced the appointment of Deepak Mehrotra as the new Managing Director for its India business?

27. A Krishna Kumar is the new Managing Director and CEO of which company?

28. Which advertising group’s strategic communications and engagement consultancy, MSLGROUP, was named the ‘Best Corporate Consultancy in the World 2013’ by The Holmes Report?

29. Which MNC has launched a digital campaign called “CelebrityYou” for its brand PhotoReady?

30. This definitely qualifies as an out-of-the-box strategy and probably a worry for our desi celebrities. Which Indian company has signed on actor Hugh Jackman as its brand ambassador?

31. Which company has acquired the remaining stake in Wireless Business Services (WBSPL) to own 100%?

32. Which business personality is Forbes India "Entrepreneur for the Year 2013"?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 499 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 498

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

1. Japan-based Line Corporation, a provider of instant messaging service, has roped in which celebrity to be its brand ambassador for India?

2. Which television channel is being advertised with the baseline 'Every story has a human side'?

3. According to the Kelly Global Workforce Index survey, employees of which country are the most committed to their employers compared to their counterparts in other countries?

4. Which MNC has kicked off the festive season with the ‘Hint a Gift’ television commercial?

5. Which Indian business personality was last week inducted into the prestigious National Academy of Engineering in the US?

6. Which company has entered the hair salon business by buying a 30% stake in Bhabani Blunt Hair Dressing, which runs the premier hair salon chain B: blunt?

7. Nxtra Data has appointed Neil Pollock as its CEO. The company is the wholly-owned subsidiary of which MNC?

8. Which company has forayed into the hydraulics business with the acquisition of assets of Wayne-Burt Petro Chemicals, a hydraulics cylinder manufacturing company in Chennai?

9. Luxury hotel chain The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has mutually agreed to bring its 25-year association with which hospitality major to a close, effective October 1?

10. This is a big and welcome step, given that some uncertainties had cropped up in what was a given. Who is the new chairperson of State Bank of India?

11. SR Bansal has taken charge as the new CMD of which bank in India?

12. Ayurvedic hair oil brand Kesh King has roped in which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

13. Arthur Sadoun is the new CEO of which advertising MNC?

14. Private equity firm New Silk Route has acquired a majority stake in which Mumbai-based café and restaurant chain?

15. Jeweller Joyalukkas has signed on which celebrity as its brand ambassador for its planned global expansion?

16. Private equity giant Apax Partners has acquired which IT outsourcing firm founded by four IITians, for $420 million (Rs 2,578 crore)?

17. Moses Harding, former executive director of Lakshmi Vilas Bank, has joined as the group chief executive officer of which infrastructure finance firm?

18. Which company has launched its e-book imprint whereby it is offering 21 e-singles by 21 writers at a cost of Rs 21 each?

19. McDonald’s is bringing which new retail format to India?

20. Who is all set to become the first woman chair of the Federal Reserve (the US’ central bank) in its 100 years of existence?

21. B Ashok has been selected to be the new chairman of which public sector entity from June next year?

22. Which MNC will buy out its Indian partner in their 50:50 cash-and-carry joint venture, which runs 20 wholesale stores under the Best Price Modern Wholesale brand in India?

23. Which brand has been crowned 'World's Best Beer' at the World Beer Awards for 2013?

24. Which business family has joined hands with Andrew Branagh to set up Berkeley HealthEDU, which will focus on developing and delivering high-end training for healthcare professionals?

25. Which company has become the first private insurer in the country to make a foreign acquisition?

26. Google last week announced the launch of laptops that are powered by Google’s Chrome OS in India from October 17. What are they called?

27. Mr Jagdish Saxena, 74, passed away last week. He was the CMD of which pharma company?

28. Which Indian company has been recognized as ‘Asia's Most Promising Brand' in 2012-13 by World Consulting and Research Corporation (WCRC)?

29. Low-priced Aakash tablet maker DataWind last week launched affordable phablets or tablets with voice call facility. What has the series been branded as?

30. Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) last week launched what new innovation in the mosquito repellant category?

31. According to a report, Google TV will be rebranded. What will it be called?

32. Which MNC has acquired TenMarks, a mathematical education company founded by entrepreneur Rohit Agarwal?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 498 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 497

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week September 30 - October 05. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which celebrity has been roped in as the face of National Geographic Channel in India?

2. Which company has closed a co-production deal with Ranbir Kapoor for his upcoming film Jagga Jasoos?

3. Which company has appointed Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as brand ambassadors for its kitchen appliances?

4. Which MNC has launched its all new super premium sedan Flying Spur in India?

5. Which brand has emerged as the world’s most valuable brand, according to the latest Best Global Brands report by corporate identity and brand consulting company, Interbrand?

6. Which business group has bought UK’s most renowned Oakley Court, a gothic heritage country house in Windsor, for 27 million pounds (Rs 256 crore)?

7. Which automobile company has sold its testing and engineering services company Defiance Testing & Engineering Services to US-based Exova for an undisclosed sum?

8. Arrow is advertising its SuperLuxe shirt. What is its claim to fame?

9. Which MNC will enter into a joint venture with China Resources Enterprise (CRE) to create a retail giant in China?

10. Which company has acquired French financial services consulting firm Equinox Consulting for an undisclosed sum?

11. Which entity is planning to set up a chain of 300 exclusive retail outlets under the Indian Republic brand?

12. Which automobile company has appointed John Edwards as the MD of the newly created 'individual products division'?

13. Which premium lifestyle brand has collaborated with actress Deepika Padukone to co-create a limited edition collection for women?

14. Which automobile company has partnered with the Being Human Foundation to launch a special edition of its scooter?

15. Which Indian brand features in Africa's top ten most admired global brands, according to a survey conducted by the African Business Awards?

16. Which two companies have picked up the title sponsorship rights for the Indian cricket team’s remaining matches in 2013-14 for around Rs 26 crore?

17. Kolkata-based Pressman Advertising got list listed on both BSE and NSE last week. Why did this make news?

18. Which company will be the title sponsor of the New York City Marathon in 2014?

19. Which company will acquire ValueSource NV, a subsidiary of Belgium-based insurance group KBC?

20. According to World Bank estimates, which country is expected to top the list of countries receiving remittances this year too?

21. Vishal Bali has resigned as the group CEO of which healthcare group?

22. Skoda Auto last week relaunched which brand in India?

23. Which MNC has acquired Flutter, a San Francisco-based company founded by two persons of Indian origin - Navneet Dalal and Mehul Nariyawala?

24. Which ‘all-singing, all-dancing’ burger chain from the US will shortly make its India debut?

25. Suhail Rizvi, founder of New York private equity firm Rizvi Traverse Management, has emerged as a significant investor in which MNC?


Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 497 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli