Biz Quizard 574

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

1. Which two companies have formed a new joint venture in the WiFi space, FireFly Networks Ltd?

2. Which company has tied up with SAAB of Sweden to bid for the ship-borne unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme of the Indian Navy?

3. Which multinational conglomerate, with interests in aviation, financial services and hospitality, is actively considering its foray into the Indian insurance sector?

4. DEIEM India has entered into an agreement with Reliance Retail to market which footwear brand at the latter's outlets?

5. Which Indian CEO has been featured on the list of 30 best chief executive officers (CEOs) published by Americas financial magazine Barron’s?

6. Which MNC has won approval from U.S. federal regulators to test a delivery drone outdoors?

7. Which Chinese state-owned company is to buy Pirelli, the world's fifth-largest tire maker, in a 7.1 billion euro ($7.7 billion) deal?

8. In tune with its “Say Hello Around the World” campaign, which airline has named one of its MD-11 freighters - part of its cargo fleet -‘Namaste India’?

9. Bengaluru-based startup iTiffin, an online and offline supplier of healthy meals, is encouraging children to munch healthy this holiday season. Which cricketer is an investor in the company?

10. Which Singapore-based company has acquired a 51% stake in Hyderabad's Continental Hospitals for Rs 282 crore?

11. Amazon has set up a logistics company in India to deliver products directly to consumers. What has it been christened?

12. Which company has entered into an agreement with FMCG major Hindustan Unilever to fully acquire its wholly-owned arm Brooke Bond Real Estates?

13. Which business personality has joined the start-up bandwagon by launching a new healthcare venture, PM Health & Life Care Pvt Ltd (PMHLC)?

14. What distinction is the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru claiming after the commissioning of its new project?

15. In 2015-16, the Government will, for the first time, use bonds (Government Securities or G-secs) with a maturity period of how many years for its borrowing?

16. Which online retailer has tied up with Disney India to unveil accessories and apparel collection for women, which is intended as an ode to timeless tale of Cinderella?

17. Which bank, in a partnership with Max Life Insurance, announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind financial planning app that will enhance the customer’s life insurance purchasing experience?

18. Which Indian company has taken a small stake for about Rs 150 crore in the US-based taxi hailing service provider Uber Technologies Inc, as part of a strategic marketing arrangement?

19. Which handset maker has launched ‘India’s first multipower bank'?

20. Which well known business personality has bought a minority stake in the non-banking finance company (NBFC), Grameen Capital India (GCI)?

21. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), in association with which bank and the National Payment Corporation of India, last week launched a RuPay pre-paid debit card?

22. Which company has entered the eyewear segment with a range of products that will target outdoor and adventure sports enthusiasts?

23. Which publication is running a campaign #livenonegative, urging people to drop all negativity in them and pledge to be positive?

24. Which chocolate company has announced a partnership with Disney India to introduce a new range of surprise toys?

25. The Indian Patent Office has refused a patent to which MNC’s ‘invention’ on method and apparatus for a crawler application in the country?

26. Snapdeal will create a dedicated store exclusively selling Handicrafts from Tamil Nadu under which brand?

27. Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru crossed which annual passenger milestone on March 22?

28. Which online platform has appointed Printvenue founder Saurabh Kochhar as its India CEO and chief business officer of global operations?

29. Which ethnic apparel brand, with a legacy of over two decades, has unveiled its new identity, including a brand emblem which has been inspired from a peacock feather?

30. Which two companies, icons of the American food industry, are merging in a blockbuster deal, creating what will be the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world?

31. Which MNC has launched its new global brand campaign ‘Flying Reimagined’?

32. Who has joined hands with Qatari Business Association to launch Aiana Hotels, a hotel management company?

33. Which MNC last week launched ‘ElectUK’, a smartphone application that allows users to track, analyse and visualise Twitter conversations about the UK General Election to be held in May?

34. Ford last week unveiled a compact sedan in India. What has it been branded as?

35. Which actress launched her maiden fashion line, titled Imara, at Amazon India Fashion Week?

36. Which fast-food chain giant last week launched its very own fashion and lifestyle line?

37. Which company has finalised the sale of its Singapore hospital to Concord Medical Services (International) for S$55 million (about Rs 250 crore)?

38. Grasim Industries has launched its subsidiary Birla Cellulose’s first fabric brand. What is it called?

39. Which MNC has agreed to acquire Telefonica SA’s O2 unit, creating Britain’s biggest wireless provider by customers?

40. Bajaj Auto last week launched the Pulsar RS 200 bike in the super sport segment. Why does its price make it special for the company?

41. Which MNC is joining forces with Johnson & Johnson to develop a robotic-assisted surgical programme?

42. Which company has appointed Sanjiv Sarin as MD and CEO for a period of three years?

43. PepsiCo will bring which international brand to India by April 1?

44. Twitter last week launched which streaming video application?

45. Which company has launched its new campaign 'Dil ki Deal?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 574 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 573

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

1. Which MNC is launching SecuTABLET, a high-security tablet developed with International Business Machines Corp and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd?

2. Which MNC has launched #TogetherOnline in India, an initiative that encourages internet users to help get more women onto the internet?

3. Which brand has released a campaign called #Connect to celebrate Earth Hour?

4. Which company has launched a new campaign with the positioning ‘Nobody cools better’?

5. Which online fashion brand has roped in former MTV VJ and actor Rhea Chakraborty as its brand ambassador for the new brand campaign?

6. Which media company has launched a revamped network logo and a campaign titled ‘Connecting Dots…’?

7. A mobile-first news service launched by media entrepreneur Raghav Bahl has gone live. What has it been branded as?

8. Which MNC has launched a video call centre in Turkey for the hearing-impaired?

9. Which MNC has acquired 2lemetry, a startup that has developed an enterprise-focused platform to track and manage IP-enabled machines and other connected devices?

10. Which beverages brand has unveiled its maiden multimedia campaign, in sync with its brand philosophy of ‘Drinks and Memories’?

11. Which MNC has terminated its exclusive franchising agreement for India with Chogori Retail and will now partner several companies, instead, to open retail stores in India?

12. Which MNC has bought shopping search engine TheFind?

13. Global Consumer Products, a startup founded by former Godrej Group MD A Mahendran, is rolling out its first brand, a chocolate brand. Name the brand?

14. Ashu Suyash, a mutual fund industry veteran, will be the new MD and CEO of which company?

15. Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) last week launched a sporty cross. What has it been branded as?

16. Which company has launched Chillr, a mobile app that allows users to instantly transfer money to any contact in their phonebook?

17. Which airline will soon launch its long haul budget carrier, Eurowings, to destinations in India?

18. Which media company will launch its first fashion label EK shortly to tap into the merchandising opportunities?

19. Which company has appointed Abid Ali Neemuchwala, the former head of TCS BPO, as the group President and Chief Operating Officer?

20. Snapdeal has roped in which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

21. Former Forbes India editor Indrajit Gupta has launched a digital media and learning platform for entrepreneurs. What has it been branded as?

22. An airport at Andal in West Bengal is set to start commercial operations by next month. What is its claim to fame?

23. Which dating application has made its India debut recently?

24. Which Indian company has entered into an agreement to fully acquire South African generics drug maker Pharma Dynamics?

25. Actress Nicole Kidman has been appointed as the global brand ambassador of which airline’s new campaign?

26. Which MNC is teaming up with long-time Indian-American journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran to produce “constructive” films and TV shows around issues “that matter”?

27. Which portal has launched a campaign to promote its newly launched 'Uncancel' feature?

28. Which footwear brand has signed on actor Varun Dhawan as its brand ambassador?

29. Which US-based hospitality group has signed a franchise agreement with Indian company Miraya Hotel Management to establish its mid-market brands in the country?

30. GMR group-run Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has achieved which milestone in terms of number of passengers in a year?

31. Which Italian superbike maker has partnered Pune-based real estate group DSK to launch five motorcycles in India?

32. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles has crossed which cumulative sales milestone for its BharatBenz trucks?

33. Which Swiss watchmaker is joining forces with technology behemoths Google and Intel to develop a smartwatch that can compete with the new Apple Watch?

34. Snapdeal last week announced the launch of which luxury product category on its marketplace, a first in India?

35. Which company will soon become the first Indian automobile manufacturer to sport complete keyless entry systems in its cars?

36. Which portal has launched CashBoss, an Android app that rewards users with free talk-time?

37. Which British company last week unveiled ‘The Fascination’, described as the 'world's most valuable transformable timepiece'?

38. Lifestyle has roped in which celebrity as brand ambassador for its contemporary menswear brand - Code by Lifestyle?

39. Which MNC smartphone maker has appointed its chairperson and co-founder Cher Wang as the new CEO?

40. Which taxi aggregator last week launched a food delivery service in India?

41. Which automobile MNC has appointed Colin Macdonald as the Managing Director in India with effect from April 1?

42. Which company has launched its campaign ‘Ghar Baithe Ghar Sajao’ to promote its new Home category?

43. K V Developers Pvt. Ltd (KVD), an ISO certified real estate builder in Noida, is claiming which distinction for its project, KVD WindPark?

44. Nestle has launched a campaign ‘Reconnect with your senses’ to promote the premium version of KitKat. What has it been branded as?

45. AirAsia India last week unveiled its 4th aircraft with a livery dedicated to JRD Tata as a mark of respect to the pioneer of civil aviation in the Indian sub-continent. What has it been christened as?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 573 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 572

Biz Quizzard completes 11 years with this edition. Thanking Murali Duggineni, Quinkie members and all others for their support.

Also pleased to inform that Biz Quizzard has been featured in the Limca Book of Records 2015, for the 5th consecutive year.

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

1. Which company will form a joint venture with Phantom Films, a company formed by leading producer-directors ­ Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena?

2. Which online marketplace has entered into a three-year partnership with the country's largest private sector lender, HDFC Bank, to launch a co-branded credit card?

3. Which MNC has acquired the Indian arm of Spanish boutique advisory firm AF-Mercados for an undisclosed sum?

4. Which company will buy Israeli cyber security company CyActive for $60 million?

5. Which MNC has signed a definitive agreement to acquire media firm VCCircle Network for an undisclosed sum?

6. What did Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi release at Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, on March 6?

7. FMCG major Emami has roped in actor Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassador for which brand?

8. Which online fashion brand has roped in actor Sidharth Malhotra as its brand ambassador?

9. Mr Deepak Khaitan passed away last week in Kolkata. He was the vice chairman of which business group?

10. Which brand has launched an online campaign to encourage young Indians to go ‘offline’ in order to feel ‘alive’?

11. Which online marketplace has partnered with IndiVillage, which will allow sellers on its platform to outsource their imaging tagging, transcription and content development requirements?

12. Which MNC has acquired Indian Express-owned Screen, a film and entertainment weekly, for an undisclosed amount?

13. Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara became the first cricketer to wear a helmet with StemGuard, the new safety attachment for back of the head and neck. Which brand?

14. Which MNC has been named the top employer in Europe for the third consecutive year by Top Employers Institute?

15. Which premium drinks maker is shutting its India office and is working on a new distribution model to make its products available in the country?

16. Which company last week launched the first India-made Rotavirus vaccine?

17. Which company is set to take over Total hypermarkets owned by Jubilant Retail in a tuck-in acquisition deal?

18. Which Indian manufacturer of power infrastructure castings has tied-up with Russian Power insulator manufacturer Global Industrial Group for long term supply of castings from India?

19. India's patent office has revoked a patent on asthma drug Spiriva (tiotropium bromide monohydrate) held by which MNC?

20. Which three Indian companies have been named among the world’s most ethical companies by the Ethisphere Institute?

21. Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, founders of Snapdeal, have reportedly taken part in the first round of funding in which Delhi-based travel planning portal?

22. The US subsidiary of which BSE-listed company has acquired Canada-based Mindprint, a clinical research start-up specialising in analytics and operational software?

23. Motorola last week launched a new device on Flipkart. What has it been branded as?

24. Which MNC bank is bringing in Tidjane Thiam, the head of British insurer Prudential, as its new CEO to help drive its push into wealth management in emerging markets?

25. Asian Paints has agreed to set up its largest paints production facility in which state?

26. Which automobile MNC last week launched ‘Zeal Edition’ across its entire model range?

27. Which online price comparison and product discovery portal has acquired coupon site PriceBurp[dot]com for an undisclosed sum?

28. Venture capital firm GenNext Innovation Hub and Microsoft Ventures last week launched 11 start-ups this week. GenNext is backed by which company?

29. Soft drink brand Rasna has roped in which celebrity for its latest campaign?

30. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has come out with the names of top 10 asset firms in India. Which company has topped the list?

31. Visit Britain, UK’s national tourism agency, has appointed which celebrity in India as it brand ambassador?

32. Which company has retained top position for a second year in row for the highest number of grid-connected wind energy installations in India?

33. Which non-profit education organization has acquired the NMAT exam in India from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS)?

34. Which hospitality major has taken over the management of its French rival Accor-managed Pullman Hotel in Gurgaon?

35. Which menswear brand has launched its new nationwide brand campaign titled ‘You’re the man’?

36. Which insurance company has rolled out a new television campaign, titled ‘Alter Ego’?

37. Which brand has launched its new thematic campaign, ‘Live it Abhi’?

38. Which portal has launched a new campaign with the tagline ‘Keemat Bhi, Kuchh Keemti Bhi’?

39. Which company has signed a three-year strategic timeout sponsorship deal for the Indian Premier League (IPL)?

40. Which MNC will open its first chocolate plant in India, in Pune?

41. Which premium apparel brand is offering customers in India the option to pay in instalments or what it calls ‘pay in parts’?

42. Which Mumbai based education-tech start-up last week announced the acquisition of 100Marks, one of the student guidance platforms for JEE Main, Advanced and Medical?

43. Which group has acquired Expicient Inc, a global omni-channel services firm with expertise in inventory and order management systems (OMS)?

44. Manoj Kumar has been elevated as the new managing director of Indian operations of which Japanese MNC?

45. Which MNC has recently launched its first e-commerce initiative Humarashop[dot]com?

46. Which Hip-hop star’s bid for Scandinavia music streamer Aspiro has succeeded after owners representing more than 90% of shares in the Swedish-listed firm accepted the $54 million offer?

47. Which media company has tied up with tablet maker Eddy to launch a Creativity Tablet for children, which comes pre-loaded with hundreds of activities, apps and videos?

48. Upkar Prakashan Group recently launched a new stationery product line. What has it been branded as?

49. Which MNC last week said it had purchased the maker of the video streaming app Periscope?

50. Ratan Tata has made a personal investment in which mobile payments and commerce venture?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 572 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 571

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

1. Coca-Cola recently launched a global campaign and unveiled a year-long marketing plan to celebrate which occasion?

2. Reckitt Benckiser India has roped in actor Shraddha Kapoor as the new brand ambassador for which brand?

3. Which MNC last week announced its entry into the smart watch category and launched a campaign with the positioning “Timeless design. Smart within.”?

4. Which taxi aggregator has bought smaller rival TaxiForSure (TFS) for Rs 1,237 crore ($200 million) in a cash-and-stock deal?

5. Which MNC has said it would buy WiFi network gear maker Aruba Networks for about $2.7 billion?

6. Which automobile company has signed on southern superstar Allu Arjun as its first regional brand ambassador in the country?

7. Who is the richest Indian, according to the annual list Forbes Rich List 2015?

8. Which business group has recently roped in Saif Ali Khan as a brand ambassador for its footwear brand Spunk?

9. Which insurance company has appointed RM Vishakha as its new managing director and chief executive officer?

10. Which Indian company has announced a partnership with China Mobile for strengthening its 4G ecosystem as well as network and device procurement?

11. Which pharmaceutical company has agreed to buy GlaxoSmithKline's opiates business in Australia?

12. Which chip maker has agreed to buy smaller peer Freescale Semiconductor Ltd and merge operations in a deal valuing the combined company at over $40 billion?

13. BlackBerry last week unveiled a new mid-market smartphone in Barcelona. What has it been branded as?

14. Which UK-based company last week launched its tea bags in India?

15. Which company will acquire mobile wallet firm Paydiant for an undisclosed sum?

16. Which MNC has emerged as the no. 1 smartphone vendor globally for the fourth quarter of 2014, according to Gartner?

17. Which game company has unveiled Madzzle, claimed to be the world’s first roll-up puzzle?

18. Which business group has bought a bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi for Rs 304 crore in one of the biggest real estate transactions of its kind in the country?

19. Entrepreneur Raj Kundra and actor Akshay Kumar have ventured into the over Rs 13,000-crore Indian home shopping market on television. What has the channel been branded as?

20. Which company has acquired management control in Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Company Ltd., signalling its foray into the emerging business of defence production?

21. Which Indian city has been ranked at 138 globally and as the best city to live in India, according to Mercer’s Quality of Living Report 2015?

22. Which MNC has acquired US-based mapping and local search engine deCarta for an undisclosed sum?

23. Which MNC is partnering with packaging solutions company Tetra Pak to develop low-cost packaged beverages for the Indian market?

24. Which Indian business group is all set to join an elite league of companies such as Google, Tesla, BMW and Audi that are experimenting with driverless cars across different regions?

25. Hyderabad-based socks maker Filatex Fashions is acquiring which Kolkata-based fashion e-commerce site, marking its foray into the growing e-retail market?

26. Which location in India has become the world’s fifth most expensive office location, according to property consultant Cushman & Wakefield?

27. Former Rabobank India CEO and country head Surojit Shome has been appointed the head of its Indian operations of which MNC?

28. Which company has acquired mobile ad network AdIQuity for an undisclosed amount?

29. Which company has tied up with Absolute, a restaurant and service-apartment operator, to start a restaurant called Ciclo Café in Chennai?

30. Which MNC will join the Dow Jones industrial average, replacing AT&T Inc?

31. Which portal has launched a new logo ‘Look Up’?

32. Which brand has launched a new campaign titled ‘Khuljaye Bachpan’?

33. The world’s largest fashion retailer Inditex S.A. is all set to launch which brand in India over the next few months?

34. Five ETV regional channels - ETV Marathi, ETV Gujarati, ETV Kannada, ETV Bangla and ETV Oriya - have been rechristened. Which brand has replaced ETV?

35. Which show has recently become the longest running daily Hindi fiction show on TV?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 571 as the subject.

Happy learning!

rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 570

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

1. Which fashion portal has sponsored the West Indies team for the ICC Cricket World Cup?

2. Israeli company Sesame Enable has unveiled a new smartphone. What is its claim to fame?

3. Which company has agreed to acquire gastrointestinal drug maker Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd in an all-cash deal valued at about $10.1 billion?

4. Which company launched its bed linen collection titled 'Ebony and Ivory' through the movie 'Shamitabh'?

5. Which company has become the No. 1 player in the tablet segment in India in the three months ended December 2014, according to International Data Corporation (IDC)?

6. Takahiro Hachigo will be the new global CEO of which automobile MNC from June?

7. Which MNC has picked up 34% stake in Indo Nissin Foods, maker of Top Ramen instant noodles in India, for about Rs 500 crore?

8. Which company has fully acquired Aadhaar Wholesale Trading and Distribution by buying 30% equity stake from Godrej Agrovet and Anamudi Real Estates?

9. Mr Bhadrashyam Kothari, 53, died at Houston recently after a brief illness. He was the Chairman and Managing Director of which business group?

10. Which business group plans to develop India's largest single hub for toy manufacturing at its special economic zone that is coming up close to Kakinada port on the country's east coast?

11. Which company has emerged the “highest bidder” for the Park Hyatt Hotel at Cansaulim in Goa?

12. Which company will hand out digital key-chains, lockets and hand-rings, christened ‘Fightback Plus’, to its over 27,000 women staffers soon?

13. Which company last week announced the launch of the ‘Colour the skies’ sales promotion for Holi?

14. Which two-wheeler brand has launched a new campaign ‘Looks Good. Is Good.’?

15. Which company last week said it became the first company to reach sales of a cumulative capacity of 1 GW (Gigawatts) solar inverters in the country?

16. Which is the most trusted brand in the country, according to Brand Trust Report 2015 by TRA (formerly known as Trust Research Advisory)?

17. Which US-based refrigerant technology provider last week entered the Indian market?

18. Which business process management company is buying analytics firm RPM Direct for about $74 million (Rs 460.2 crore) to expand its portfolio?

19. Which British insurance brokerage has re-entered the Indian market by picking up 49 per cent stake in New Delhi-based Almondz Insurance Brokers?

20. Former JPMorgan Chase investment banker Bill Winters will be the new CEO of which MNC bank?

21. Which two-wheeler brand has launched a new campaign with the baseline 'Designed for two. To feel like one.'?

22. Adobe released a new campaign during the Oscar Awards presentation on February 23. What was it celebrating?

23. Which beverage brand has launched a digital campaign #WalkToTheMoon?

24. Which Thai firm has set up a joint venture with hotel asset management firm Kingsbridge India to set up seven hotels in the country by 2018?

25. Which company has acquired 100% equity shares of Nypro Forbes Products for an undisclosed consideration?

26. Which startup, an incubatee company of the IIM-Ahmadabad’s technology business incubator, has set up the country’s largest biomass cook-stove factory at Vadodara in Gujarat?

27. Which is India's 'buzziest' brand, according to the tenth edition of Surewaves Buzziest Brands?

28. Turner International India (a Time Warner Company) will soon launch a new kids channel in the country. What has it been branded as?

29. Which motorcycle company will join the four-wheel market by launching small cars in Europe as early as 2019 to meet rising demand for energy-efficient vehicles?

30. Cadbury’s former South Asia head Bharat Puri has been appointed as the new managing director of which company?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 570 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli