Biz Quizzard 522

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

1. Which MNC has launched its ‘Blue by Heart’ campaign for the T20 World Cup?

2. How did Sistema Shyam Teleservices mark the fifth anniversary of brand MTS in India on March 26, 2014?

3. Renton D’Sousa has resigned as the CEO of which advertising agency in India?

4. Which company has signed an agreement to sell its 74% stake in a cement manufacturing unit in Bokaro to Dalmia Cement (Bharat)?

5. Dabur India has roped in which actor as the new brand ambassador for its 'OxyLife Men' product?

6. The Reliance (Mukesh Ambani) group companies are moving to which new work culture as part of a “business transformation process”?

7. Harsh Mariwala has stepped down as the MD of which FMCG company?

8. Which advertising agency has agreed to acquire Shanghai Egift Design and Production Co. Ltd., one of China's leading premium and gift specialists?

9. Which MNC has agreed to buy Maker Studios, one of YouTube's largest networks, for $500 million?

10. Which company has been recognised as the fastest growing IT services brand globally by Brand Finance, a leading brand valuation firm?

11. Vinita Bali has stepped down as the managing director of which company after nine years at the helm?

12. Which MNC has joined hands with US-based Cancer Treatment Services International (CTSI) to set up a chain of 25 cancer detection and treatment centres across India?

13. Which Chinese smartphone maker, headed by a man referred to as the Steve Jobs of China, is all set to enter the Indian market?

14. Google is partnering with which business group, owner of well known eyewear brands, to help the web company’s Glass eyewear go mainstream?

15. Actor Irrfan Khan stars in the new ad campaign of which tyre brand?

16. The latest ad of which well known international beverage brand will feature a baby Spider-Man?

17. Which handset brand has launched its new campaign with the positioning 'Milaye Sapno Sein'?

18. Which MNC will acquire two-year-old Oculus VR Inc, a maker of virtual-reality glasses for gaming, for $2 billion?

19. Network18 and which MNC have joined hands to launch 'In Conversation' series, an initiative to help connect prominent politicians with voters across the country?

20. An easy one. Which brand has launched its new campaign 'Maine Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hai'?

21. Which three major media houses have joined hands to start OneIndia, a combined space selling platform for display ads on a national level?

22. Which brand has become the world’s second largest spirits trademark by retail value, dislodging Smirnoff vodka from that spot?

23. Which Swiss beverages company has entered the Indian market through a joint venture with Hyderabad-based SDU Beverages to produce and market its fruit juices for kids?

24. Which tyre brand has launched a new campaign titled ‘Letters’?

25. Which bank has launched Jifi, a fully-integrated social bank account with youth as the target segment?

26. Which advertising agency has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Social Wavelength, one of the leading social media agencies in India?

27. In the first move of its kind by a foreign retailer, which French single brand sports goods company has sought the government’s nod to sell products online from its store?

28. Travel companies Cox & Kings and Ezeego1 have announced a tie-up with which adventure tourism major?

29. Which drug major has acquired Mexico's Laboratorios Grin, a leading player in ophthalmic products, for an undisclosed amount, marking its foray into the Latin American country?

30. Which Hyderabad-based engineering services company will be known as Cyient Ltd from May?

31. Which British beauty brand, known for fresh handmade cosmetics such as the fizzing bath bomb and solid shampoo bars, is looking to enter Indian market?

32. Which company will buy an office building in Mumbai’s Goregaon suburb from Standard Chartered Bank for Rs 280 crore?

33. Who has topped Forbes magazine’s annual list of 100 best venture investors with the ‘Midas’ touch?

34. Four serial entrepreneurs, including Ronnie Screwvala, have co-invested in which news website?

35. Which airport has been voted the World’s Best Airport for the second year in a row at the prestigious 2014 Skytrax World Airport Awards, held in Barcelona?

36. Which consumer durables major recently launched a new range of products in Kolkata under the ‘Welcome Series’ brand?

37. Which company is planning to launch a new range of frozen desserts called sorbet made from sweetened water, flavouring and a significant amount of fruit pulp?

38. Ajay S Shriram, Chairman and Senior Managing Director of DCM Shriram Ltd, has taken over as the President of which industry body for 2014-15?

39. Which MNC has named Gilbert Ghostine as president for its India and China business?

40. More than a decade after it launched personalised service petrol pumps under 'Club HP' brand, state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd has launched a new premium brand. Name it?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 522 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 521

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

1. Which city has emerged as the world's leading global financial center, according to the Global Financial Centres Index compiled by London-based consultancy Z/Yen?

2. Which brand has joined hands with government hospitals and agencies to fight dengue through a campaign called “U & Me Against Dengue”?

3. Which beverage brand has launched its new campaign in the US with the slogan ’You’re on’?

4. Which well known film personality will set up Bend It Media Fund (BIMF), a venture capital fund, in April to invest in film and television projects globally, including India?

5. Which television channels have launched a promotional campaign with the tagline 'Work Hard Play Hard'?

6. Which MNC has ushered in social sentiment index (SSI), an analytics framework to help Bollywood avoid flops?

7. Which IT firm has inked a multi-year pact with Volvo Cars to provide application development services for its global operations?

8. Which MNC bank has agreed to buy the Asian private banking business of French lender Societe Generale in a deal worth USD 220 million?

9. Which MNC has agreed to buy Spanish cable television and Internet provider Ono for 7.2 billion euros (USD 10 billion)?

10. Which brand / property has launched its campaign titled 'Come On, Bulaava Aaya Hai'?

11. Which e-commerce firm has partnered US-based GOQii to bring the latter’s fitness band and services to consumers in India?

12. Which Financial services firm has announced the demerger of its product business into an independent entity known as Intellect Design Arena Ltd (Intellect)?

13. The Australia-based arm of which company will roll out its 10-seater GA10 aircraft in the North American, Australian and African markets by the end of 2014?

14. Which business personality has bought a 43% stake in Mumbai-based Lebanese restaurant chain Maroosh?

15. Which two Indian whisky brands are the new entrants into the billion-dollar retail sales list?

16. Which television actress, along with Callista Capital, has purchased a 49.9% stake in independent studio Abundantia Entertainment?

17. Which MNC has teamed up with Bangalore-based company, SM Kannappa Automobiles to launch a new range of buses, under the UD brand, targeted at India and other emerging markets?

18. Which automobile brand is being advertised with the baseline ‘Break Through’?

19. Which toy company has launched its first toy store in the country in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu?

20. Which MNC has launched its new campaign 'Share Your Goodness' in India?

21. According to a company statement, which country is the fastest growing market in the history of the Seattle-based iconic American coffee chain Starbucks?

22. Which MNC has named Ramesh Tainwala as its global chief operating officer?

23. Which two companies are the only Indian entities named in the 2014 list of 'World's Most Ethical Companies' prepared by the US-based Ethisphere Institute?

24. Which online travel company has acquired Bangalore-based startup YourBus, strengthening its offering in the bus travel space?

25. Which two business personalities of Indian origin are among the world’s 50 greatest leaders, according to Fortune magazine?

26. Which electrical goods company has launched the ‘Metalica’ and ‘Metalica Divine Series’ distribution boards, which it hopes will create a niche market for the product?

27. Which Canadian luxury mobile brand has tied up with premium multi-brand electronic retailer Mihaus to enter the Indian market?

28. Which computer-security company has fired its Chief Executive Steve Bennett amid sagging revenue and slumping shares?

29. Which domain registrar and web hosting company launched its latest integrated marketing campaign featuring Mithun Chakraborty?

30. Which airline has launched a new scheme under its 'Feel like a Star' campaign, where flyers get a discount if they have a 'filmi' name?

31. Emami has roped in which actress as brand ambassador for its BoroPlus face-wash range?

32. Which state-owned investment arm has agreed to invest $ 5.7 billion (Rs 34,700 crore) for a 24.95% equity stake in Hong- Kong based beauty chain AS Watson (ASW)?

33. 'Big Hoss' is set to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest TV in the world. Which MNC has built the screen?

34. T.Sarkar Private Limited, a 50-year old Kolkata-based advertising agency that also has interests in films and television production, is all set to launch its first channel. What has it been branded as?

35. Which MNC has been named as the top employer in Europe by the Top Employers Institute for the second consecutive year?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 521 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 520

Biz Quizzard completes 10 years with this edition, without missing a single week in between. A big thanks to everyone who has been part of this long journey.

Also pleased to share that Biz Quizzard has once again been been featured in the Limca Book of Records this year. Incidentally, this is the silver jubilee year for the Limca Book of Records and it has celebrated the 25th edition by dedicating it to the cause of Empowering Women by making it the theme for 2014.


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

1. The 25th anniversary of which widely used service / system was celebrated on March 12?

2. Which MNC has bought a majority stake in water purification company Qinyuan, its biggest Chinese acquisition in 10 years?

3. Which Indian telecom operator has tied up with Gameloft, a global publisher of digital and social games, to offer quality gaming to its subscribers?

4. Seven women have made it to Fortune India's first compilation that lists individuals who have managed to grow an idea into a profitable business. What is the list called?

5. Which company has launched a digital campaign called 'Relationship Beyond the Contract' in partnership with LinkedIn?

6. Advertising agency Draftfcb Ulka has got a new corporate identity. What is the new name?

7. Which MNC has agreed to buy Fyffes Plc in an all-stock transaction that values the Dublin-based fresh- produce distributor at about $526 million?

8. Which television channel has set a Guinness World Record for the longest continuous TV camera shot ‘live’?

9. In a bid to position itself as the online fashion destination, which Delhi-based e-tailer is launching an ethnic women’s wear collection designed exclusively by well-known designer Rohit Bal?

10. Which very well known brand has launched its new campaign 'Where Life Meets Style', its first television commercial in over a decade?

11. Which creative agency will launch its Shopper Marketing arm, Labstore, in India?

12. The Mumbai bench of the Company Law Board (CLB) has directed Anup Bhaskaran Rana, India managing director of which MNC, to sell his 10% stake in the Indian JV to the German parent?

13. Which company is planning to list its European subsidiary Sylvania Global on the London Stock Exchange (LSE)?

14. Which insurance company is advertising in the print medium with the baseline ‘Health hai toh life hai’?

15. Which MNC has appointed Srinivasan Dwarakanath as India CEO and is bringing all its Indian activities under one roof through the creation of a fully-owned subsidiary?

16. Which MNC has named Alex Stamos as its chief information security officer, tapping a vocal critic of the US governments secret surveillance programs for the position?

17. It was ambush marketing. Which MNC has been asked by CBF, Brazilian soccer’s ruling body, to withdraw its world cup ad, arguing that it’s using intellectual property that belongs to the CBF?

18. Which vernacular newspaper has started an all women's portal titled Vasundhara Kutumbham?

19. Which popular e-commerce marketplace has launched a Way Too Fab (WTF) campaign to celebrate its 9th birthday in India?

20. Which advertising agency has announced a year long program of innovative events and activations in celebration of its 150th anniversary?

21. Which company will acquire control of Andhra Pradesh-based Anjani Portland Cements?

22. Which airline from India entered into an Rs 26,000-crore ($4.4 billion) deal with Boeing for the supply of 42 new 737 MAX8 planes, which will be delivered after 2017?

23. Who has topped this year’s Forbes' America's most powerful CEOs under-40 list?

24. In what's only the second major change to the brand's logo in its 121-year history, which MNC has unveiled a new delta logo?

25. DS Group has roped in which celebrity as brand ambassador for the newly launched ‘Rajnigandha Silver Pearls’?

26. Which portal has launched its newest television campaign called ‘Giddh ki Aankh’?

27. Which bank has become the first lender in India to start its own online payments aggregator service?

28. Which Italian cult motorcycle brand is all set for a formal Indian debut?

29. Hero MotoCorp last week launched an all new bike equipped with stop-and-start i3S technology under the Splendor brand. What has it been sub-branded as?

30. Which company will, on March 24, launch its new campaign ‘Making India Beautiful’, its biggest marketing campaign in a decade?

31. Which brand has collaborated with DreamWorks Animation to launch a range of fountain pens from the hit animation films Shrek, Madagascar 3 and Kung Fu Panda 2?

32. Which Kerala-based finance company has entered the housing finance segment, acquiring Jaypee Hotels’ Milestone Home Finance?

33. Which company has announced the launch of its mobiquity Wallet, a digital wallet platform?

34. Which automobile brand is being advertised with baseline ‘Multiplies your life’?

35. Which brand has launched its new campaign 'back is the new front'?

36. Vineet Bajpai has been elevated as the CEO of which advertising agency in India?

37. Rakesh Sethi has been appointed chairman and managing director of which public sector bank?

38. Music streaming service, Rdio, founded in 2010 by Skype co-founder Janus Friis, will mark its entry into the Indian market with the acquisition of which music portal?

39. Rahul Kumar Srivastava, managing director of Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, also known as Amul Dairy, is set to head the Indian operations of which dairy major?

40. The International Kabaddi Federation has teamed up with sports management company Mashal Sports to launch professional kabaddi league Pro Kabaddi. Which well known business personality is the co-promoter of Mashal Sports?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 520 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 519

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

1. Who is the world's richest man, according to the latest Forbes magazine's annual billionaire list?

2. Nishi Vasudeva has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of which public sector entity?

3. Kishore Chhabria-led Allied Blenders and Distillers has launched a range of snacks under which brand?

4. The ninth edition of India's Buzziest Brands has been released by afaqs. Which brand has topped the list?

5. Which company is the most preferred employer for the 2014 graduating batch of B-school students in India, according to the Campus Track Business School survey conducted by Nielsen?

6. Which company has entered into a joint venture with Dow Chemical Pacific (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. to tap the growing Water and Waste Water treatment market in India?

7. Which company last week launched Riva Residences in Bangalore, its first housing project for senior citizens?

8. Which pharma company has said it would delist from exchanges in the country?

9. Which company has sold its hospital business to Narayana Health?

10. Apple unveiled a new, integrated iPhone voice-control system for car drivers at the Geneva Motor Show last week. What has it been branded as?

11. Which celebrity has hired graduates from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC) for his brand management?

12. Which city has emerged as world's most expensive city, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) 2014 'Worldwide Cost of Living' survey?

13. Which Indian company is making an entry into the green tea business through the acquisition of a tea processing factory in Vietnam?

14. Sayaji Hotels is all set to launch a new brand of hotels for business travellers. Name it?

15. Which company has become the first Indian private company to foray into the submarine business, with a division focused primarily on underwater weapons and systems?

16. Direct-to-home digital service provider Dish TV India has launched a new brand for providing customised local television channels to regional viewers. Name the brand?

17. Piaggio Vehicles is all set to launch its new model, Vespa 946, before June this year. What will it be its claim to fame?

18. Which two well known business personalities have invested Rs 28 crore in Mumbai-based debt financing firm IntelleGrow through their companies?

19. Which MNC has acquired Vizify, a startup that specialises in creating interactive infographics and videos of users' social media data?

20. Flipkart has crossed which important milestone in sales?

21. Toyota Kirloskar Motor has crossed which important sales milestone in the country?

22. Which company has inked a licensing agreement with Disney to launch Disney and Marvel-inspired range of bicycles for children in the age group of 3 to 12 years?

23. Which company recently unveiled ‘Nilaya’, its first collection of signature surfaces?

24. Tom Albanese has been appointed the new chief executive of which India-focused mining conglomerate, effective April 1?

25. In a first-of-its-kind deal, MTV has entered into a partnership with which company to showcase its brands through 60 minute movies?

26. Which IT firm will buy US-based Softential Inc., which provides service management and service assurance solutions for telecom firms and cable operators?

27. Dabur India has filed a case in the Delhi High Court against internet domain firm Go-Daddy.com over which domain name?

28. Why was Chaori Solar Energy Science & Technology Co., a Chinese manufacturer of solar panels, in news last week?

29. Samsung has unveiled a new free music service for its phones that it touts as a significant improvement from the apps already on the market. What has it been branded as?

30. Kellogg’s has roped in which celebrity as the new face for Special K in India?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 519 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 518

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week February 24 - March 01. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which advertising agency has bought out Bengaluru-based independent digital agency 22feet?

2. Which US automaker is all set to launch its bikes in the Indian market, including the models Renegade Commando and Renegade Sport?

3. Which agri-commodity warehousing management company is entering agricultural financing by acquiring Chennai-based non-banking finance company, BP Jain Finance and Investments?

4. Which business personality has emerged as an early investor in Hopscotch, a Mumbai-based boutique ecommerce startup selling products for infants and kids?

5. Fanta has rolled its new campaign ‘Snack-time Fanta-Time’, another animation TVC. What is unique about it?

6. Lakshmi Swaminathan has become the first Indian to be elected president of Administrative Tribunal of which banking entity?

7. US regulators for the first time have banned the sale and import of which product category made by an Indian company Jash International?

8. Which brand has emerged as the Most Trusted Internet brand for the fourth year in a row, according to the Brand Trust Report, India Study, 2014 (BTR 2014) held by TRA?

9. Nokia last week announced a new line of mobile phones that run a modified version of Android. What has the new series been branded as?

10. Which PSU has expanded into pharmaceutical business by acquiring majority stake in Goa Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (GAPL)?

11. Which business group will launch ‘Campus vehicles’, a range of battery-operated vehicles for the Indian market?

12. Nissan Motor India will discontinue the sales of which two models in India as the company intends to focus on its locally manufactured models?

13. Which company has exited the two-wheeler segment completely by selling its remaining stake in Mahindra Two Wheelers to private equity firm Samena Capital for about Rs 182.1 crore?

14. Which MNC has announced a partnership with Internet.org, a Facebook-led alliance of partners, to improve internet access in India?

15. Which company has launched its new campaign ‘No ullu banaoing’?

16. Which company will hive off its products, platforms and solutions (PPS) business into a separate subsidiary called Edge Works at the beginning of the next financial year?

17. Which company has become the first US health player to do business in India with the launch of the fifth standalone health insurance company in the country through its joint venture with TTK?

18. Which retail company has promoted Salil Nair as the new CEO?

19. DK Sarraf will be the new chairman and managing director of which state-run entity?

20. Which business personality has unveiled his latest book 'Zen Garden'?

21. Which company has launched high-end formal suits for both exports and domestic markets in a joint venture with Goodhill Corp of Japan?

22. An organisation founded by Bhavna Kanadia and her partner Nirav Patel from Anand, Gujarat, aims to sell health beverages made from coconut. What has it been branded as?

23. Which company has approved the merger of two of its subsidiaries, Trinetra Cement and Trishul Concrete Products, with itself?

24. Which well known Indian company has entered into a joint venture with Netherlands-based Montblanc Services BV, known for its writing instruments?

25. Which two Indian companies have been named among the world's most admired companies by Fortune magazine?

26. Which MNC has appointed Sanjeeb Chaudhuri in the newly created role of group head of brand and chief marketing officer, effective April 1?

27. Which company has signed an agreement to acquire the IT and consultancy services business of chemical giant BASF?

28. Which MNC will buy privately-held Dihon Pharmaceutical Group Co, a maker of traditional herbal Chinese medicines?

29. Which company has announced that it plans to build what it claims as the world's largest battery factory?

30. According to reports, Vijay Mallya has acquired ‘Air Support’ for around Rs 4 crore. What is ‘Air Support’?

31. Which company will sell its two hydropower plants to a grouping led by Abu Dhabi government-owned utility Taqa for $1.8-2 billion (Rs 11,500-12,500 crore)?

32. Arvind Saxena, a former Maruti Suzuki veteran and the MD of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, is the new president and CEO of which company?

33. Which consulting firm has appointed John B Veihmeyer as its next global chairman?

34. Which smartphone maker last week launched 5 models under the new ‘Kochadaiiyaan series’?

35. Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy at a Tokyo District Court last week. What is its claim to fame?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 518 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli