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