Biz Quizzard 639

Quizzing legend and pioneer Mr Neil O'Brien, India's first quiz master, passed away last week. A former member of Lok Sabha, the senior O’Brien, father of Derek O'Brien, was also a three-time nominated Anglo-Indian MLA in West Bengal and an educationist. He was the chairman of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and managing director of Oxford University Press, India. As a leader of the Anglo-Indian community, he was the president-in-chief of All-India Anglo-Indian Association and headed the Frank Anthony group of schools. Mr Neil O'Brien conducted the first well-organized, formal quiz in 1967 at Christ the King Church Parish Hall in Calcutta. Biz Quizzard pays its respects to the departed soul.


Presenting the current affairs quiz for the June 20 - 25. Hope you enjoy it.

1. A long and successful innings will be coming to an end. YC Deveshwar will step down as the chairman of which company in February next year?

2. Which airline has joined hands with cab aggregator 'mytaxiindia' (MTI) to offer passengers the option of booking a taxi to reach the airport at the time of ticket purchase?

3. Which actor producer has picked up a significant minority stake in PB Lifestyle, exclusive licence holder in India for Playboy Enterprises, USA?

4. Which Indian company has been named in a `Hall of Shame' list of 158 banking and financial institutions globally that have invested billions of dollars in companies making cluster bombs?

5. Which company has launched its latest strolley collection, Earl, made from polypropylene material?

6. Lots of Father’s Day ads and 2 caught my eye. Which MNC released a six-minute video titled ‘The Hero – A Bollywood Story’?

7. On the occasion of Father’s Day, which brand launched a digital ad film #SalutingSingleMothers that salutes the single mother?

8. Which MNC has acquired London-based Magic Pony Technology, a machine-learning startup that specializes in working with images, to deliver better video and picture content?

9. Which company last week announced its acquisition of fitness aggregator Oyofit?

10. Nikesh Arora has quit as the president of which MNC?

11. Goibibo(dot)com has launched a travel social network on its mobile app, which enables travellers to get connected on Goibibo app using their phone books. What has it been branded as?

12. Nestle has rolled out the first sub-brand of Maggi to appeal to ‘young adults’. Name it?

13. Apparel brand US Polo has crossed which milestone sales mark in India in the fiscal ended March 31?

14. A joint venture between which company and Standard Chartered Private Equity has bought the commercial assets of Gurgaon-based builder M3M in a deal valued at Rs 250 crore?

15. Which MNC announced recently that it is partnering with a cannabis industry-focused software company called Kind Financial?

16. Which US-based healthcare player that uses stem cell therapy treat joint injuries, spine pain and degenerative orthopaedic conditions, last week announced the launch of its first facility in India in Hyderabad?

17. Which British IT and software firm has merged with its Indian partner BSL Information Technology to jointly deliver consultancy services in different parts of the world?

18. Instagram has crossed which membership milestone?

19. KFC has tied up with a digital agency, Blink Digital to launch 'watt a box'. What is its USP?

20. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been roped in as the brand ambassador by which insurance company?

21. Which subscription-based OTT (Over-The-Top) app has unveiled a new logo and positioning 'Desh Ka TV, Bees Ka TV'?

22. SK Roy has resigned as chairman of which entity, two years before his term ends?

23. Which restaurant customer engagement and marketing platform has acquired Mumbai-based social and marketing solutions provider MassBlurb in a mixed equity and cash deal?

24. Which IT company has agreed to buy UK-based digital technology firm The BIO Agency for an enterprise value of £40 million?

25. Which MNC has signed an agreement to acquire specialty chemicals firm Chemetall for $3.2 billion?

26. Which IT firm appointed Takayuki Inaba as its India managing director?

27. Which New York-headquartered media company and the Times of India Group last week said they would form joint ventures for launching the world's leading youth media brand in India?

28. In what is being claimed as a first-ever instance for India Inc, which company last week held its board meeting in an academic institution?

29. Which iconic Italian fashion brand last week made its debut in India with the launch of its first store in Colaba in Mumbai?

30. Which global payments platform has appointed Anupam Pahuja as the Managing Director and Country Manager for its India operations?

31. Which job portal has unveiled its new TVC ‘Getting what you deserve?’?

32. Which sports footwear and apparel brand has signed tennis players Yuki Bhambri and Karman Kaur Thandi as its brand ambassadors?

33. Which Delhi-based education company, which runs 5-star properties Radisson Hotels in Noida and Ludhiana, has entered into a joint venture with Germany's Steigenberger Hotels in India?

34. Which foreign university is launching a research centre in Delhi in partnership with Tata Trusts to address some of India's most pressing economic and social development challenges?

35. Maruti Suzuki’s Ciaz has touched which sales milestone in the domestic market?

36. Which automobile company has launched India’s first motorsports helpline by a manufacturer?

37. Which retailer has launched a television commercial ‘Neki Mubaarak’ (Best wishes of goodness) in keeping with the brand’s promise of ‘Making India beautiful’?

38. Which Indian company has invested an undisclosed amount in Israel-based venture capital firm TLV Partners, marking its first investment in a venture capital firm?

39. Which MNC has announced the appointment of Sanjay Malik as the head of Indian market, effective from August 1?

40. Which MNC last week launched the new version of its convertible Dawn in India, claimed to be the first super-luxury convertible in the country?

41. Times Network has launched its third English Movie channel. What has it been branded as?

42. Which fashion retailer in India has added international brand Izabel London to its portfolio of exclusive brands?

43. SunEdison Inc., the bankrupt clean-energy giant, has sold a 7-megawatt portfolio of rooftop solar projects in India to which company?

44. Which MNC will withdraw its 'Premier Slam' dresses for the 2016 Wimbledon Championship after receiving increasing complaints from female players that their apparels were too revealing?

45. According to reports last week, which CEO has purchased a nearly $5-million (Rs 32-crore) house in Koramangala in Bengaluru?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 639 as the subject. Answers are mailed to those who attempt the current edition within the given time.

Happy learning!

rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 638

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the June 13 - 18. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which MNC has announced it will buy enterprise social network LinkedIn in a deal valued at $26.2 billion?

2. Which company has signed a definitive agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical and an affiliate of Allergan Plc to acquire a portfolio of eight generic drugs in the U.S. for $350 million in cash?

3. Which internet devices firm has acquired Internet of Things business of communications service provider Netcore in an equity deal?

4. Which Indian-origin food tycoon will add Tesco's Giraffe restaurant chain to his empire as the British retail chain retrenches to focus on UK supermarkets?

5. Shravan Gupta has resigned as the Executive Vice Chairman & Managing Director of which realty firm?

6. Parineeti Chopra will endorse which sugar substitute brand?

7. Which French luxury leather goods brand has announced its India entry and opened its first store in New Delhi last week?

8. Which MNC will buy privately held cyber security company Blue Coat for $4.65 billion in a cash deal?

9. Which company has changed its name to Bharat Financial Inclusion?

10. Which well known business personality last week announced the he has been given the status of Overseas Citizen of India (OIC) by the Indian government?

11. The CMC (Coimbatore Marine College) group’s budget airline is readying for its first flight by the end of this month or early next month. What has it been branded as?

12. Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) has launched a free to air Hindi movie channel targeted at the audience in small towns and rural areas in the country. What has it been branded as?

13. Which soya brand has launched 2 ad films ‘Life ki demand hai zyada’ and ‘Ab healthy ho jao sirf 10 rupee mein’?

14. Which MNC has announced the appointment of Debarati Sen as managing director of its India and Sri Lanka operations with effect from June 1, 2016?

15. Which MNC has named former iGate CEO Ashok Vemuri as the new CEO of its back-office outsourcing company?

16. Gunit Chadha has quit as the Asia-Pacific chief executive officer (CEO) of which MNC bank?

17. Which lubricants company has announced the appointment of Mansi Madan Tripathy as new managing director?

18. Which motorcycle brand has launched its new television commercial with the positioning ‘Khoobiyon mein ek aur khoobi’?

19. L'Oreal plans to launch a hair care range made with natural ingredients in an effort to cash on the growing popularity of Ayurvedic products in India. What will it be branded as?

20. Which location in India is the seventh most expensive prime office market in the world, according to the bi-annual survey of CBRE Research?

21. Which company’s subsidiary has signed an agreement with Welspun Energy to buy its renewable energy unit Welspun Renewables?

22. Which MNC will start selling the world’s thinnest light-powered watch, costing about Rs 2 lakh, across the country from October?

23. NRI Harjeev Kandhari-owned firm Zenises last week sold a set of 4 tyres in the UAE. Why did this make news?

24. Which company has launched IntraPlus, what it claims is India’s first zero balance trading account facility?

25. Honda Cars India’s compact sedan Amaze has crossed which sales milestone in the domestic market?

26. Which women's fashion and lifestyle portal has appointed Michael Adnani as chief executive officer?

27. Which company has launched its Open Network Initiative campaign?

28. Which adhesives and industrial chemicals manufacturer’s wholly-owned subsidiaries have fully acquired Kenya-based firm Nebula East Africa Private Ltd (NEAPL) for an undisclosed sum?

29. Which MNC last week said it will acquire U.S-based firm Joyent Inc to boost its cloud computing and "internet-of-things" capabilities?

30. Who has been elected Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)?

31. Which company has launched the campaign "Don't Break the Sweat" for its air conditioners range?

32. Which watch brand has launched the ad ‘Feel the Speed’?

33. Which car brand has unveiled its launch campaign ‘Ready India’?

34. Which brand has topped the India list in the latest BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands Ranking and Report by Millward Brown?

35. Which MNC has agreed to buy Elizabeth Arden in an $870 million deal to strengthen its skincare and fragrance business and expand in high-growth markets including the Asia-Pacific region?

36. Spain's Gamesa and which MNC plan to combine their wind businesses to create the world's biggest builder of wind farms?

37. Which MNC is selling its US sorghum production assets to Remington Holding Co and will roll its sorghum breeding business into a joint venture with the privately held company?

38. Bourne & Shepherd, a photographic studio in Kolkata, has shut down. What was its claim to fame?

39. Which MNC has acquired California-based Wand Labs, a start-up which builds messaging technology for apps, founded in 2013 by IIT-Delhi alumnus Vishal Sharma?

40. Which two companies last week said they would explore options of merging their businesses to create India's biggest private life insurer?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 638 as the subject. Answers are mailed to those who attempt the current edition within the given time.

Happy learning!

rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 637

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the June 06 - 11. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company last week raised $ 500 million at the London Stock Exchange after it launched India's first internationally-listed certified green bond to finance climate change solutions around the world?

2. Which fashion marketplace has acquired three startups to build its premium fashion product Vilara?

3. Which professional services firm has acquired the taxation practice of Bangalore-based RMC Global Advisory Services?

4. Which company has launched “Tube”, the premium lightweight strolley bag?

5. Which hospitality group and Qatar's Al Faisal Group last week signed an agreement to build a five-star hotel near Taj Mahal in Agra?

6. Which Indian drug major has sold two of its US-based manufacturing facilities along with 15 products to Frontida BioPharm Inc for an undisclosed amount?

7. Jayant Kapre has quit as the president of Indian operations of which biscuit company?

8. Which MNC has elevated Kulmeet Bawa as MD of South Asia & India?

9. Which automobile MNC’s president and managing director of its India arm, Nigel Harris would be moving to a new position as president of parent company’s joint venture in Chongqing, China?

10. Which Chinese retailer will acquire a 70% controlling stake of Italian soccer club Inter Milan for 270 million Euros ($ 306 million)?

11. Which Indian company has secured a contract to build a $135 million stadium for Qatar's 2022 World Cup?

12. Who has become the world’s number one woman money earner in sports, according to Forbes Magazine?

13. Which club has retained its position as the world’s most valuable football brand, according to brand valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance?

14. How many chief executives of Indian companies have been featured in the latest Forbes list of 100 most powerful women in the world?

15. Which company last week forayed into the standalone oncology care segment by launching the country’s first daycare chemotherapy centre?

16. South Korean consumer electronics major LG last week launched its new range of TVs in India. What unusual USP is the company claiming for this range?

17. Which Thailand-based agro-industrial conglomerate has announced its foray into the packaged foods business in India, with a new chicken processing plant in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh?

18. Which company, known for its ethnic and wedding wear for men, has now forayed into women’s ethnic wear segment with the launch of Mohey?

19. Which biscuit brand has launched a television commercial with the positioning of ‘Subah ka Biscuit’?

20. Former Adobe South Asia and India MD Umang Bedi is joining which MNC as managing director for India region?

21. Which company has tied up with retailers and brands for loans tailor made for buyers of clothes, shoes, watches, eyewear and fashion accessories, making it the first such scheme to be rolled out in India?

22. Sachin Dalal, cofounder of BSE-listed ecommerce firm Infibeam, will spearhead which Japanese ecommerce giant's thrust into Indian shores?

23. Which company’s wholly-owned data centre unit, Nxtra Data, has signed a pact with a US firm CenturyLink to provide services in India?

24. Which MNC’s chairman will cede the role of CEO and one of his top deputies will resign after the automaker admitted to using unapproved fuel-economy testing methods in Japan?

25. Which business personality last week entered the crowded app-based taxi aggregation market with the launch of UTOO Cabs?

26. Which company’s CEO has topped the list of highest-rated CEOs in the US, compiled by career website Glassdoor?

27. India has surpassed which country to become the world’s third-largest oil consumer, with its oil demand galloping 8.1 per cent in 2015, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy?

28. Which MNC has secured an Indian patent for an invention relating to a know-how for automated testing of seeds?

29. Which brand has launched a new campaign ‘Aaj ka masaledar sach’?

30. Which celebrity has reportedly been roped in as the first brand ambassador of Vistara airline?

31. Which company has stepped into the dairy whitener market with its Sunfresh brand?

32. Ratan Tata has invested an undisclosed amount in his personal capacity in which e-ticketing startup?

33. Which company has launched the world's first biosimilar, or copies, of bevacizumab, a complex medicine used to treat at least six forms of advanced cancers?

34. Former Chief Technology Officer of Snapdeal, Amitabh Misra has launched a travel portal to service the needs of Indians going overseas. What has it been branded as?

35. Which smartphone maker last week forayed into home appliances, two years after launching light emitting diode (LED) television sets?

36. Which company last week launched India's 'first' ready to serve fruit milkshake?

37. Which company last week announced its foray into wellness homes segment in partnership with US Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI)?

38. Which Indian pharma company’s subsidiary has entered into a product in-licensing pact with USpharma Windlas, LLC to market and distribute four products in the US?

39. PepsiCo last week announced the launch of a stronger variant of Mountain Dew. What has it been branded as?

40. Which Indian entrepreneur has been named by Time magazine to its 2016 list of “10 millennials who are changing the world”?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 637 as the subject. Answers are mailed to those who attempt the current edition within the given time.

Happy learning!

rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 636

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the May 30 - June 04. Hope you enjoy it.

1. World Bank has switched to more precise descriptions of economies. What has India been categorised as?

2. Which aluminium major has elevated Satish Pai as managing director?

3. Which innerwear maker has signed up Australian cricketer Brett Lee as brand ambassador?

4. Which news app has launched an ad with the tagline ‘Short mein jaano’?

5. Which UAE-based group last week announced the launch of its first flagship hospital in India, in Hyderabad?

6. Which online furniture retailer has launched an ad featuring Kangana Ranaut?

7. Which ad agency is merging its Delhi-based digital agency Indigo Consulting with Publicis iStrat, a digital agency acquired by Publicis Groupe in 2012?

8. Which company is selling its stake in Mauritius-incorporated Gulf Africa Petroleum Corporation (GAPCO), which trades and markets fuel in Africa, to French energy producer Total?

9. Anup Rau has quit as the CEO of which insurance company?

10. Travel services provider Thomas Cook (India) has entered into a partnership with which online budget hotels aggregator for providing standardised accommodation experience?

11. Which global property consultancy has appointed former DTZ India head Anshul Jain as MD of its India operations?

12. Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited will be soon launching a new English movie channel. What has it been branded as?

13. Which consumer internet company recently launched a campaign ‘Baap of all pay apps’ for its e-wallet app?

14. Which payments bank has announced the appointment of Shashi Arora as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director?

15. Airport Authority of India (AAI) has crossed which milestone revenue mark in 2015-16?

16. Which MNC is selling about 1,500 of its patents to Chinese device maker Xiaomi?

17. Which MNC has announced the launch of Privacy Knight, India's first free app-lock with Face Lock feature that protects mobile privacy from intruders?

18. Which cloud-based software maker said it would buy Demandware Inc, which provides software to design e-commerce websites, for about $2.8 billion?

19. Telugu actors Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Allu Arjun and industrialist Aravind Prasad have joined Sachin Tendulkar as the new co-owners of which sports franchise?

20. How many Indian-origin women have featured on the Forbes' annual list of America's 60 wealthiest and most successful self-made women entrepreneurs?

21. Which company has acquired on-demand grocery venture SubKuchFresh?

22. Which Indian city has emerged as the fifth most preferred destination for global multinational companies that are looking to set up innovation centers and tap technology talent?

23. Which MNC will acquire Vogue International for $3.3 billion, adding brands such as OGX shampoos and FX hair styling products to its consumer portfolio?

24. Which drug maker has announced the election of Aditya Narayan as its new Chairman?

25. Which Hyderabad-based beauty and wellness service provider has bought Chennai-based Pamperazi, which offers on-demand home beauty services?

26. Which fashion ecommerce platform has launched its new brand campaign ‘Be You’?

27. India has overtaken which country to become the second largest internet user base in the world, according to the 2016 edition of the annual Internet Trends report?

28. Which recently launched online shopping portal has launched its first digital ad urging customers to ‘Get the Oont’, starring camel?

29. Which MNC has entered into an agreement to buy Unilever's AdeS soy-based beverage business for about $575 million?

30. Which company has agreed to buy L&T General Insurance for Rs 551 crore in the first buyout in the country's general insurance industry?

31. Which MNC will acquire EZSource, an Israel-based application discovery company, to help developers modernise mainframe applications for digital business?

32. Which MNC has announced the development of a new artificial intelligence (AI) system called 'DeepText'?

33. Which Indian company’s majority stake in Hollywood firm IM Global will be pared to 30% after an equity infusion of $200 million by Tang Media Partners (TMP)?

34. Mr Roger Enrico died on June 1 at the age of 71. He was the former CEO of which MNC?

35. How many brands of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) have notched up annual sales in excess of Rs. 2,000 crore?

36. Emirates’ flag carrier Etihad last week introduced a London-Melbourne round trip ticket. Why did this make news?

37. India Post last week released ‘My Stamp’ to mark the third anniversary of which MNC’s presence in India?

38. Taxi-aggregator Ola last week introduced a mobile platform for fleet owners. What has it been branded as?

39. Which US publisher has changed its corporate name to 'Tronc Inc.'?

40. Who has become the first Indian woman to be nominated to International Olympic Committee (IOC)?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 636 as the subject. Answers are mailed to all those who attempt the current edition within the given time.

Happy learning!

rajeev kondapalli