Biz Quizzard 569

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

1. Which MNC is reportedly working on the creation of an electric car under a project code-named "Titan"?

2. India's chocolate sales crossed which milestone mark in 2014, according to Euromonitor?

3. Which company is claiming to have become the first out-of-home media brand in the world to get ISO:27001 certification?

4. Which business personality is launching a social enterprise, Ek Step, to help elementary school children across the country improve their reading and arithmetic skills?

5. The world’s richest chocolatier died on Valentine’s Day in Montecarlo. Name him?

6. Which company has signed a definitive agreement to fully acquire U.S.-based automation technology provider Panaya for an enterprise value of $200 million?

7. Which MNC brewer has exited its joint venture with Ravi Jaipuria's RJ Corp to begin independent operations in the country through its wholly-owned entity Crown Beers?

8. Which celebrity, along with sibling, will be launching a high street fashion brand Rheson this September?

9. Which brand has launched its new campaign 'Todo Nahin, Jodo'?

10. Punit Renjen will be the new global CEO of which MNC?

11. Which MNC will buy Brit Plc, a specialty insurer and reinsurer, for about $1.88 billion?

12. Which retailer has acquired online grocer ekstop.com?

13. Which tourism destination was promoted by the teaser campaign 'Ilha de Calma'?

14. Which brand of blood glucose monitors has launched a campaign titled “Khud Ki Care”?

15. Which company has acquired luxury fashion portal Exclusively.in for an undisclosed amount?

16. Which company has signed an exclusive deal to develop, distribute and market games around Virat Kohli for three years?

17. Which business group will host the world’s first solar-powered airplane, ‘Solar Impulse 2’, in India at Ahmedabad and Varanasi in March?

18. Which company has partnered Startupbootcamp FinTech, an accelerator, to host Pitch Days in India?

19. BMW Group India last week introduced which new sub-brand in India?

20. Amul last week launched its new premium ice cream brand in Delhi, a day ahead of HUL’s launch of Magnum in the city. What has it been branded as?

21. Which company has decided to buy out its 15-year-old partner UK-based RSA Group’s 26% stake in their insurance joint venture for a consideration of Rs 450 crore?

22. Which US-headquartered news portal last week announced its foray into the Indian market in partnership with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s JV firm India.com?

23. Which MNC has bought U.S. mobile wallet startup LoopPay?

24. Which entity last week announced an A$6.5 billion ($5.1 billion) takeover of Australian freight and logistics firm Toll Holdings Ltd?

25. Which pan masala brand has launched a new campaign ‘Pehchan Kaamyabi Ki’?

26. Which MNC will launch its SUV ‘Trailblazer’ in India this year?

27. Which company has launched a new campaign looking at ‘vacation deprivation’ as a disease?

28. Which writing instrument brand has launched an animated ad campaign showing the prince of ‘Pen Nagar’ getting married to the princess of ‘Pencil Land’?

29. Which brand has launched its new campaign, titled ‘Mummy’s Khushiyon Ki Recipe’?

30. Which MNC has been recognised as the fastest-growing brand globally in the information technology sector over five years, according to a study by London-based Brand Finance?

31. Which business group has signed a 51:49 joint venture with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel's second largest defence company?

32. Which U.S. drinks can maker has agreed to buy British rival Rexam Plc in a 4.43 billion pounds ($6.9 billion) deal?

33. Which social network last week launched a global display advertising network, in partnership with AppNexus?

34. Which brand has been ranked as the world's most powerful brand 2015 by strategy consultancy Brand Finance?

35. Google is in the process of setting up an office in India for its year-old late-stage fund, the first office outside of the US. What is the fund called?

36. Which company has launched a new brand called ‘Seqrite’ to provide IT security solutions for business enterprises?

37. How many Indian companies have entered a list of 73 most-valued billion dollar club of start-ups across the world, based on a survey by The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones VentureSource?

38. Metals and mining conglomerate Vedanta Resources plans to rechristen its subsidiary Sesa Sterlite. What will it be known as?

39. Which MNC has launched a campaign as part of the ‘1 hour of fitness’ movement?

40. Which company is picking up 51 per cent stake in food and confectionery manufacturer Sublime Foods for an undisclosed sum?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 569 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 568

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

1. Which company has acquired iClinic Healthcare, a technology-based healthcare provider founded by former Vodafone chief commercial officer Sanjoy Mukerji and Britannia MD Varun Berry?

2. Which MNC has acquired Odysee, an app that lets users back up and access content captured on their mobile or tablet cameras from their PCs?

3. Which Mumbai-based company has acquired a technology from a Chinese company to turn induction stove into an interactive one?

4. Which business personality has made a personal investment in auto classifieds portal CarDekho?

5. Which company has launched its latest digital campaign 'Do ThumbThing'?

6. Which MNC has announced the launch of the official video game of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, titled 'ICC Pro Cricket 2015'?

7. Which actress will launch her cosmetics line called 'Circa' in US later this month?

8. Which brand has launched a new television commercial for the world cup with the message ‘There’s a lot riding on us’?

9. Which biscuit brand has launched a television commercial to mark its new packaging, with the positioning ‘Thoda Aur’?

10. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will launch its first American satellite later this year or early next year. For which company?

11. Which US retailer last week launched its first technology innovation centre outside of the US, at Bengaluru?

12. Ratan Tata has taken up a mentoring role in which venture capital firm?

13. Which Chinese business group has agreed to buy Swiss sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media AG with a group of investors for 1.05 billion Euros ($1.19 billion)?

14. Which company and Government of Rajasthan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly set up India’s largest solar park of 10,000 MW in Rajasthan?

15. Which cab services company has launched its first nationwide marketing campaign 'Ab Haath Na Hilao, Bas App Dabao'?

16. Which company is acquiring Bengaluru-based startup Eventifier as it looks to expand across the entertainment value chain?

17. Which confectionary brand has launched a new campaign ‘Aapko Farak Padega!’ to communicate that it is now ‘bigger, softer and better’?

18. Which well known economist has won has the newly instituted Charleston-EFG John Maynard Keynes Prize?

19. Which MNC has submitted a bid to acquire Sweden's Axis Communications, expanding into video surveillance?

20. Which company last week launched ‘Pockets’, the first digital Bank in the country?

21. Which business group will purchase a majority stake in Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering (PDOE) for roughly Rs 3,000 crore?

22. Which Singapore-based company has agreed to pick up a controlling stake in Green Infra, a company controlled by IDFC's private equity (PE) arm?

23. Which MNC plans to launch Fuze Tea, its billion-dollar global brand that combines tea and fruit juice, in India this summer?

24. Delhi-based Alibi Technologies is launching a new dating app. What is it called?

25. Which MNC will acquire the broadcast business of Maa Television Network for an undisclosed sum?

26. Which MNC has bagged the title sponsorship of the India Fashion Week, replacing Wills Lifestyle?

27. Which online travel booking service has agreed to acquire Orbitz Worldwide for about $1.34 billion in cash?

28. Which steel company has acquired three service centres in Sweden, Finland and Norway to strengthen its offering to manufacturers in the Nordic region?

29. Which chocolate brand has launched a digital video campaign titled ‘Golden Moments’ for Valentine’s Day?

30. Which MNC has announced the launch of Web Rangers in India, a program that empowers teens to promote the safe use of the Internet among their peers?

31. Which FM radio network has inked a pact to acquire the seven `Oye FM' radio stations run by the TV Today Network?

32. Which Mumbai-based company has sold a 68% stake in its seamless stainless steel tube division for Rs 206 crore to Spain's Tubacex, the world's second largest manufacturer of the material?

33. Which Pune-based jeweller has signed up Salman Khan to endorse the 183-year-old brand across the world?

34. Which company’s arm Quess Group will acquire facility management firm Aramark India for an undisclosed sum?

35. Which company has acquired Savlon and Shower To Shower brands for India from Johnson & Johnson?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 568 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 567

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

1. Which bank is India’s most valued banking brand, according to a study by valuation consultancy firm, Brand Finance?

2. Which media agency has appointed Prasanth Kumar as its new CEO for South Asia?

3. Which well known business personality will be the chief executive of online technology education startup Acadgild?

4. Which company has entered into a binding agreement to buy cement assets that Holcim Ltd. and Lafarge SA must sell ahead of their planned merger in a transaction valued at 6.5 billion euros?

5. Which online furniture and home decor company has launched its first television campaign titled ‘Brings you closer’?

6. Which MNC has agreed to buy German network chip maker Lantiq for an undisclosed amount to expand its range of chips used in Internet-connected gadgets?

7. Which automobile MNC has announced the appointment of Kevin Flynn as its new president and managing director for India operations?

8. Which MNC has picked India to kick-start its startup mentorship programme Launchpad this year?

9. Which cloud telephony firm is acquiring Singapore's voice-based social media startup Croak.it!?

10. Which MNC will pay Rs 4,944 crore (about $750 million) to buy the women's health business of Mumbai-based Famy Care?

11. Which online service has launched a new logo - a white spoon against a red background, just months after releasing its previous logo?

12. Which company has acquired Accel Partners and Tiger Global Management-backed online baby care products retailer BabyOye?

13. Indian entrepreneur Kunal Dixit has launched the Android application of a new currency ecosystem based on a new decentralised cryptocurrency. What is called?

14. Which MNC is developing artificial human skin to test cancer-detecting nanoparticles that will work with a smart wristband?

15. IRCTC has launched which new payment methodology for booking train tickets?

16. Which celebrity has partnered with her trainer Marco Borges to launch ‘22 Days Nutrition’, a new vegan meal delivery service in the USA?

17. Which readymade apparel brand is launching an initiative called ‘MY FIT’, making its entire range customisable in the next one month?

18. A consortium that includes which two Indian entities has made a significant crude oil discovery off the Brazil’s Northeast coast?

19. RBI last week enhanced the amount of foreign exchange that an individual can remit in a year under a scheme that allows asset purchase outside India. What is the new limit?

20. Which company has become the leading supplier in India's booming smartphone market in the fourth quarter, according to data released by research firm Canalys?

21. Arvind Mathew, a former managing director of Ford India, will be the new CEO of which automobile company?

22. Which MNC has unveiled ‘Be more human’, its biggest brand campaign in a decade?

23. Which insurance company has launched a new brand campaign – ‘Apno Ko Apne Dam Pe Jeena Sikhao’?

24. Which company has agreed to buy rival Office Depot in a $6.3-billion deal designed to help it better compete against Wal-Mart Stores and online rivals such as Amazon.com?

25. Expanding its confectionery portfolio, DS Group last week announced its entry to the candy segment with a launch in Jaipur. What has the product been branded as?

26. MasterCard is planning to launch its latest digital platform in India. What is it called?

27. Which well know FMCG brand has launched a new campaign, titled ‘Discover the power of fragrances’?

28. Which company from the Tata Group has launched the ‘Do right’ campaign?

29. Which MNC last week said it would buy Hospira Inc for about $15 billion to gain access to biosimilars, copies of biotech drugs made from living cells?

30. Which well known ecommerce firm is finally entering India, buying a 25% stake in Indian mobile payments and ecommerce platform Paytm owner One97 Communications?

31. Which U.S.-based premium watch brand last week made a foray into the Indian market through an exclusive sales tie-up with e-commerce major Amazon?

32. Who has been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year 2014?

33. Which MNC has elevated Kojin Nakakita as Managing Director of its India operations?

34. Which company has agreed to buy British mobile carrier EE Ltd for £12.5 billion ($19 billion) to create a wireless and broadband giant set to shake up the country’s telecommunications industry?

35. Which brand has released new web films featuring two of India’s celebrated authors – Ashwin Sanghi and Amish Tripathi?

36. Which business group has launched a new campaign titled ‘Will of Steel’ featuring real life sportsperson Geeta Phogat?

37. Which food delivery startup has acquired close rival JustEat in India in a stock-led deal?

38. Which brand has come out with its first brand campaign, ‘Kuch Naya Sochte Hain’, to highlight the brand’s philosophy of solving life’s problems through thoughtful innovations?

39. Micromax last week unveiled its ‘Joy’ series, launching two new low-cost devices, with prices starting at Rs 699. What first is the company claiming with this launch?

40. As part of the 80th anniversary of Monopoly's first appearance in France, Hasbro is issuing a handful of special sets in that country. What is special about these sets?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 567 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 566

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

1. Which business group has bought about 25% stake in dating applications maker Thrill in a cash-and-stock deal valued at close to $1 million (about Rs`6 crore)?

2. Axis Capital Holdings Ltd and which company have agreed to an $11 billion merger to create one of the world's largest reinsurers?

3. Which MNC has decided to rope in global retail major Brightstar to sell its devices in India?

4. Which brand is encouraging women to ‘forget scissors and keep the length of your hair just as you desire’ through its new campaign?

5. Which company has announced the launch of its new bicycle ‘AF One’ - a bike inspired by the symbols, language and imagery of the Air Force?

6. Which company has undertaken a digital campaign named ‘Second Chance’ to create public awareness about the need for protection through life insurance?

7. Kunal Jeswani will be the new CEO of which advertising agency?

8. Which company will acquire US-based Totem Steel International's steel trading business?

9. Which company has decided to sell its clinical research business for $1.5 million to Canadian company JSS Medical?

10. Which business personality, along with family, has recently donated £200,000 for erecting a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square in London?

11. Who has been elevated as the new lead for Google in South-East Asia?

12. Which chocolate brand has launched its new campaign featuring actor Sushant Singh Rajput?

13. Which tyre brand has recently unveiled its new brand identity and logo?

14. Which travel booking website has acquired partner travel service Travelocity from Sabre Corporation for $280 million in cash?

15. Which beverage brand has launched a refreshed visual identity in India in line with the global effort around the world, ‘Feels Good To Be You’?

16. Which portal has launched its first campaign titled ‘Cricket Ka Keeda’?

17. Which Bengaluru-based startup has received its first investment from Karsemven, a Karnataka government-backed specialised fund for semiconductor startups?

18. Which Tata Group company will launch branded pomegranates in March?

19. Not sure if this brand is present in India. Which baby food brand has launched a digital campaign 'Sisterhood of motherhood'?

20. Which MNC last week made history by announcing the largest profit in corporate history?

21. Which Bengaluru-based group last week launched an online barter bank, Top Barter Card, which allows entrepreneurs to exchange products and services without having to pay in cash?

22. Which advertising group has acquired WATConsult, a full service digital and social media agency launched by Rajiv Dingra in 2006?

23. Which MNC last week announced an email and scheduling service, dubbed WorkMail?

24. Which restaurant discovery service has announced the acquisition of Turkey’s Mekanist?

25. PK has become the first Bollywood film to gross which milestone mark from online bookings, according to data from BookMyShow?

26. Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Entertainment have established a joint venture start-up to offer a regional video service in Asia. What is it called?

27. Which bank has partnered with Chelsea FC to launch a co-branded credit card, the first of its kind in the Indian market?

28. Which outdoor gear brand has unveiled its launch campaign 'Come alive'?

29. Which country has been ranked first among nine nations in the Credit Suisse Emerging Consumer Scorecard 2015?

30. Steve Easterbrook will be the new CEO of which MNC?

31. Which MNC’s virtual-reality division is getting into movies and has debuted “Lost” last week, the first of five short animated films that it is making over the next year?

32. Model and actress Mugdha Godse was the showstopper at a fashion show last week. Why was this show special and name the brand involved?

33. Which company has launched an integrated marketing campaign ‘Ghar Jaisa Loan’?

34. Which Japanese sportswear major has started its own sales operations in India after deciding not to renew its exclusive distribution pact with Reliance Retail?

35. Which advertising agency has launched Mirum, a new global company uniting 11 digital agencies spanning 17 countries and 40 offices?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 566 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli