Biz Quizzard 704

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the period September 18 - 23. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which MNC last week forayed into the payment solutions space in the country with the launch of Tez (fast)?

2. Which iconic US-based pop culture magazine has been put up for sale?

3. Which preventive health firm has launched its services in UK in collaboration with Modality Partnership to manage and prevent chronic lifestyle disorders?

4. Which Indian automobile company and Ford Motor Co have announced a strategic alliance to explore cooperation on products, technologies and distribution?

5. Which business group is venturing into online grocery business under Starquik brand?

6. Which footwear company is set to launch a new sub-brand called Healers that will be positioned in the premium segment?

7. Which brand has launched a campaign with the theme ‘Girls Don’t Fight’, featuring brand ambassador Kangana Ranaut?

8. Which mobile message-based services company is acquiring Malta-based SMS Firewall solution company ­ 365squared?

9. PVR, the largest multiplex chain in the country, has unveiled a new premium sub-brand, which it boasts of as the first home-grown big movie screen format. What has it been branded as?

10. Which company last week showcased the first-ever driverless tractor in India?

11. The Renault-Nissan alliance has crossed which cumulative global sales milestone, since inception?

12. Which Indian shipping company has acquired a 74,107 MT DWT (deadweight tonnage) Gearless Panamax of Japanese build?

13. Which Nepal-based diversified conglomerate is set to pick up the 42 per cent stake held by PE firm Lighthouse Funds in Mumbai-based hotel management company Concept Hospitality?

14. Which MNC has launched the campaign ‘Take a Chill-Fill’ to promote its Choco Smoothie?

15. Which company has agreed to acquire Turkey's fourth largest tractor manufacturer, Erkunt Traktor Sanayii, and an associate company for an enterprise value of $117 million (Rs 735 crore)?

16. Which MNC's board has agreed to sell its flash memory chip unit to a group led by Bain Capital for 2 trillion yen ($18 billion)?

17. Which company and German giant Thyssenkrupp have agreed to merge their European steel businesses?

18. Which security and surveillance brand has signed up Salman Khan as CCTV ambassador?

19. Which fashion brand has launched the #IShapeMyWorld Season 2 campaign, featuring Shakti Mohan, Bani J and Ileana D'cruz?

20. Which 3 Indian corporate leaders have been named on Forbes´ special list of the world´s ´100 Greatest Living Business Minds´?

21. Which MNC retailer has named Tammy Redpath as president of its India operations?

22. Which American vegan beauty and personal care brand was launched in India last week?

23. Which company has acquired the money transfer business of Paul Merchants for $40.7 million in an-all cash deal?

24. Ravi Uppal will step down as MD and group CEO of which company on September 30, on completing his five-year term?

25. WagonR has become the third vehicle from Maruti Suzuki’s stable to hit which cumulative sales milestone?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 704 as the subject. Answers will be mailed to those who attempt the current edition within the given time.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 703

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the period September 11 - 16. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which company has roped in ICICI Securities and Edelweiss Financial Services for an Rs 1,000 crore IPO by the end of financial year, in what could be the first public listing in the gaming space?

2. Which company has acquired 100% stake in a cash deal in SVM Bowling and Gaming, a popular bowling and entertainment format operated by SVM (Sri Venkateshwara Multiplexes)?

3. The Rockefeller Foundation has chosen which four cities in India as part of its 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) initiative to build resilience into cities across the world?

4. Which online real estate site in India has launched its first ever musical ad campaign and claims to be #PropertyKaSuperMarket?

5. Which engineering solutions firm has announced signing definitive agreement to acquire 100% equity ownership in US-based design and tooling services company B&F Design for $5.5 million?

6. Which ecommerce major has said it has built an innovative ‘anti-theft packaging’ solution to deliver the parcels securely to customers across the country?

7. Which MNC has launched its blockbuster cancer drug `Keytruda' in India around a year after it first received approvals to market it?

8. Which company has launched salty snacks under the brand name Kaabuli?

9. Which Indian IT company has inaugurated its first international Digital Pumpkin innovation hub located at its Warren, New Jersey office?

10. Apple Inc last unveiled its most important new iPhone. What has it been branded as?

11. Which Indian company has tied up with Rolls Royce Power Systems for setting up a joint venture (JV) to produce engines for multiple applications like rail and power generation?

12. Which bank will soon launch a superstore - code-named Project Lotus - to be unveiled both as a website and an app?

13. Tata Motors last week launched a limited edition version of its hatchback Tiago. What has it been sub-branded as?

14. Which direct selling beauty brand has roped in national award-winning actress Kalki Koechlin as its brand ambassador to launch the much-awaited campaign, “A Beautiful Change.”?

15. Which MNC last week announced the formal launch of its fashion imaging studio, BLINK, in Gurgaon?

16. Which company has acquired on-demand logistics startup Runnr in an all-stock deal?

17. Kleindienst Group has launched The Floating Venice, the world’s first underwater luxury vessel resort, near which city?

18. Which brand has launched the campaign #EmbraceTheNew, claiming it to be India's first commercial campaign for tampons?

19. Flipkart has relaunched its furniture business with the launch of a private label. What has it been branded as?

20. Which brand has retained its number one position in the BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2017 for the fourth consecutive year?

21. Indo Nissin Foods, the maker of instant Top Ramen noodles, will distribute products of which breakfast cereal maker?

22. Hewlett Packard has introduced a pocket-sized photo printer, aimed at attracting millennials, travellers and photography enthusiasts. What has it been branded as?

23. Which MNC has launched a new campaign with the positioning 'Jab light ho right, toh future ho bright'?

24. Which agarbathi brand has roped in Mithali Raj, captain, Indian Women’s cricket team, and Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to climb the Mount Everest, as its brand ambassadors?

25. Who has been elected the new chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)?

26. Which British designer brand last week announced its foray into the India market through an exclusive partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion Retail?

27. Which company will partner with Japan's Mitsubishi and Sojitz Corp to set up Sri Lanka's first LNG terminal in Colombo?

28. Which MNC will bring its `Priceless Cities' programme to India, as part of its initiative for creating experiences to promote the brand?

29. Which fashion brand has launched 'yours cutely' a stylish campaign featuring kids flaunting the new festive collection?

30. India's forex reserves crossed which milestone mark for the first time last week?

31. Which insurance website and comparison portal launched its first regional advertising campaign with star cricketer Murli Vijay for Southern states?

32. Which smartphone brand has launched the campaign ‘#KoiDebateNahi’?

33. Which brand has launched a campaign for its glass lunch box with the positioning ‘Yeh Khane Mein Chemicals Nahi Chodta’?

34. Which washing machine brand has launched the campaign ‘#SuitUpToAllergy’?

35. Which automobile brand has launched a new campaign titled “Why be in here, when you can Get Out There”?

36. Which biscuit brand has launched a new campaign 'Asli-Treat-is-in-The-Middle'?

37. Which car freshener brand has launched the campaign ‘#BetterDriveEveryDay’?

38. Which MNC has partnered with Hrithik Roshan to launch a fitness band?

39. MN Sarma has been appointed the new CMD of which insurance company?

40. Which MNC has bought a majority stake in California-based Blue Bottle Coffee?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 703 as the subject. Answers will be mailed to those who attempt the current edition within the given time.

Happy learning!

rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 702

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the period September 04 - 09. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which broadcaster has won the global media rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for five years for Rs 16,347.50 crore ($2.55 billion)?

2. Which printing solutions company has acquired its smaller, Delhi-based rival Print Retail India, which owns and operates the Print Bazaar, in an all-stock deal?

3. Which company has acquired online insurance agent Coretree Insurance, which operates Bimadirect?

4. Which Chinese communications firm has picked up 80% stake in Spice Mobile as it aims to garner a larger market share in the fiercely competitive Indian mobile handset market?

5. Which Assam-based entity, in joint venture with Parami Energy Group, has entered the fuel retailing business in Myanmar?

6. Which MNC has unveiled Kirin 970, a new and faster phone chip, which it says will help beat Apple and Samsung?

7. Amara Raja Batteries has introduced a new range to cater to the needs in the motive power applications in the manufacturing, processing and warehousing industry. Name the brand?

8. Which fashion brand has rolled a digital campaign, ‘ChangeTheQuestion’ that talks about body shaming?

9. Which brand has launched its second campaign with the initiative #TeacherNeBolaTha?

10. Which bank has become the third bank to join RBI's `Too Big to Fail' list?

11. American private equity fund Marigold Capital and Investments has agreed to buy which hospitality property in Chennai for around Rs 700 crore?

12. Biscuits major Parle Products and which beverages company last week announced an exclusive tie-up for distribution network sharing and cross-promotion of their brands?

13. Which Singapore bank has received in-principle approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start a local banking subsidiary in the country?

14. The winners of the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence for this year were announced last week. Who is the Business Leader of the Year?

15. Which MNC last week unveiled Sayer, a voice-activated, artificially-intelligent steering wheel?

16. Digital agency Tonic Media has rebranded itself. What is the new name?

17. Shital Mehta has stepped down as the CEO of which retail chain?

18. Which beverage brand launched an ad on the occasion of Teacher’s Day, featuring PV Sindhu?

19. Which MNC has launched `Made for India' Pro8 tablets with voice to assist in various initiatives under the government's Digital India campaign?

20. Vasant Narasimhan will be the new CEO of which MNC from February 1, 2018?

21. Which IT company has agreed to buy UK-based ETL Factory Limited, doing business as Datawave?

22. Which company will divest its stake in GlobalEdge Software, a Bengaluru-based embedded software technology company, for about Rs 75-100 crore to French multinational Altran?

23. Which chocolate brand has launched its new television commercial ‘Feels like a lot more’?

24. Which motorcycle brand has rolled out a new campaign ‘#NotForEveryone’?

25. Which online real estate platform has launched its new campaign “Jo Dikhe wahi Mile”?

26. Which 138-year-old luxury men’s wear brand is marking its entry in India this year?

27. The venture-capital arm of which business group has put in $1 million in Seniority, an online portal that sells elderly-care products to senior citizens?

28. Which company has acquired Gujarat-based Kemrock Industries & Exports after the latter's lenders put the company and its assets on the block?

29. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has awarded a Rs 1,200-crore highway contract for which country, its first outside India?

30. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) has signed a memorandum of understanding to build India's first Hyperloop. Which state?

31. Which company has announced a partnership that includes purchase of select assets with London-headquartered Alpha Insight, with expertise in business flow monitoring and operational intelligence?

32. Which New York-based Bitcoin wallet provider and software developer has decided to enter the Indian market with a strategic partnership with Bengaluru-based crypto currency exchange Unocoin?

33. Which hospital chain has launched exclusive care facilities for the elderly called ‘Geriatric Clinics’?

34. Which company last week unveiled the country’s first electric and hydrostatic engine transmission tractor?

35. Which bank’s Artificial Intelligence-based chatbot 'Eva' has claimed to have successfully addressed over 2.7 million customer queries in 6 months to become the country's largest banking chatbot?

36. Which media and advertising conglomerate has expanded its footprint into celebrity endorsement and sports marketing with the launch of ‘CLab’?

37. Which non-banking financial company (NBFC) has unveiled its refreshed brand identity and logo with a new tagline - 'Now You Can'?

38. Which brand has launched the #DilSeKashmir campaign as a CSR initiative?

39. Which home finance company has launched its new campaign ‘Aisa Desh Ho Mera’?

40. Reliance Jio has crossed which customer base milestone after one year of operations?

41. Which dairy foods brand has launched its first television campaign on the lines of its brand proposition: “Anand Karo!”?

42. Which MNC is selling its branded cotton seeds business in India to Hyderabad-based Tierra Agrotech?

43. Uber last week launched a new ride option as an upgrade to the current uberX, to be offered to select riders as an n-app product. What has it been branded as?

44. Who was last week elected Chairman of Press Trust of India, the country’s largest news agency?

45. Australia's Macquarie University has announced the launch of a strategic collaboration with which hospital chain in India to facilitate long-term academic exchanges between the two organizations?

46. Actress Adah Sharma has been chosen as the brand ambassador of which beverage brand?

47. Which ecommerce major has launched the festive campaign ‘#KaroMilkeTayyari’?

48. Which MNC has agreed to buy Sweet Earth, a U.S based maker of vegan and plant-based foods?

49. Which radio channel has become the first radio network in India to offer curated playlists on Apple Music?

50. The total assets under management (AUM) of mutual funds (MFs) in India has crossed which milestone mark for the first time ever?

51. Which dhoop (incense) brand has launched a campaign, featuring brand ambassador, actor Alok Nath?

52. Which company last week launched its electric three wheeler e-Alfa Mini at Rs 1.12 lakh ex-showroom New Delhi?

53. Which company has bought out L Catterton Asia's around 40% stake in Genesis Luxury, its direct competitor in luxury retail?

54. Which company has bagged the government's Rs 2,600-crore project to redevelop the ITPO complex in the national capital into an exhibition-cum-convention centre?

55. Which celebrity has bought the Stellenbosch team in South Africa's T20 Global League (T20GL)?

56. Which jewellery brand has launched a campaign featuring sisters Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karishma Kapoor?

57. Which company has appointed Disha Patani as the new brand ambassador for its laptops and smartphones?

58. Which casual outdoorsy lifestyle brand has launched the brand campaign - The Road is Waiting?

59. Which celebrity will launch an athletic leisure brand with Puma in November?

60. Satya Nadella’s book 'Hit Refresh', co-authored by Greg Shaw and Jill Tracie Nichols, will go on sale globally on which date?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 702 as the subject. Answers will be mailed to those who attempt the current edition within the given time.

Happy learning!

rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 701

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the period August 28 - September 02. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which entity last week launched the world's first derivatives trading platform for diamonds?

2. Paytm has rebranded its digital version of gifting money in an envelope on festive occasions as Lifafa (which means envelope in Hindi). What was it branded as before?

3. MakeMyTrip is entering the corporate travel segment with a new product. What is it called?

4. Which video-on-demand platform has rolled out its first-ever integrated brand marketing campaign titled ‘Kaafi Feels Bro!’?

5. Which automobile MNC has named Peter Mackenzie its new managing director for Indian operations?

6. Renault will launch its premium SUV in India this year to enhance its product offering in the market. Name the brand?

7. Which company will exclusively distribute Symantec's cyber security solutions to companies, startups and government organisations in India under a pact announced last week?

8. The board of which MNC has chosen Dara Khosrowshahi, the chief executive of travel company Expedia Inc, as its chief executive?

9. Which brand has recently launched a new digital campaign – ‘#GETFRESH’?

10. Which company is renaming its joint venture with the Gujarat government as Gromax Agri Equipment?

11. Which packaged water maker will foray into mineral and sparkling water and nectar-based fruit juices under the brand name Peaur?

12. Which fabric brand has launched its new campaign 'made for the different', featuring Farhan Akhtar?

13. Emami has roped in which celebrity as brand ambassador for the newly launched premium whitening face cream Fair and Handsome Laser 12?

14. Patanjali Ayurved is preparing to launch packaged drinking water, sourced from the foothills of the Himalayas, across north India. What will it be branded as?

15. Lux Industries has roped in which celebrity as brand ambassador for LUX Venus and LUX Cott'swool?

16. Maruti Suzuki last week announced the rebranding of its retail network across India. The company's showrooms selling mass market models will operate under which brand?

17. Folk music icon Raghu Dixit, who is famous for fusing local rhythms and international tunes to compose new melodies for young Indians, is now an investor in which craft beer brand?

18. Which retail chain has created a milestone by entering into the ‘India Book of Records' for creating the tallest Denim Ganpati Idol made by using 600 pairs of denims?

19. Which company has entered into brand licensing partnership with the U.S. based Pacific Cycles, part of Dorel Industries Inc., to bring Schwinn brand of children’s bikes to India?

20. Puneet Chhatwal will be the new MD & CEO of which hospitality company?

21. Which English business news channel has unveiled a new tagline, ‘Rise With India’?

22. Which business group is planning a foray into health insurance by buying TTK's stake in Cigna TTK Health Insurance?

23. The market capitalization of Aditya Birla Group last week crossed which milestone mark for the first time?

24. Swedish defence giant Saab and which Indian group last week announced a collaboration in defence manufacturing entailing billions of dollars of investment?

25. Which company will acquire majority stake in the Bengaluru-based telematic solutions provider Telematics4U Services Private Ltd. (T4U) for Rs 1.17 crore?

26. Which Indian actress will be the brand ambassador of Education New Zealand?

27. Which life insurance company has launched the campaign 'Hain Taiyaar Hum' for its new offering, Sampoorn Cancer Suraksha?

28. Hyundai Motor will use its manufacturing facility near Chennai to supply which model to almost all its global markets starting January?

29. Which company has introduced Perfinza range of luxury and premium car tyres widening its product portfolio in the passenger car segment?

30. Bridgestone India, a subsidiary of the tyre and rubber company and a Worldwide Olympic Partner, has roped in which celebrity as its first brand ambassador?

31. Which company has launched a 360 degree fashion video titled “Mera Joota Hai Japani” with spatial audio featuring the digital superstar Arjun Kanungo?

32. Which hair care brand has launched a new campaign ‘Thoda Love Jatao’?

33. Which Google-owned brand has refreshed its iconic logo?

34. Which automotive component manufacturer, through its subsidiary, has acquired EI Labs India for Rs. 6.5 crore?

35. Uber last week rolled out a first-of-its-kind ride sharing insurance programme in India to provide protection to its nearly 4.5 lakh driver-partners across the country. Which insurance company?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 701 as the subject. Answers will be mailed to those who attempt the current edition within the given time.

Happy learning!

rajeev kondapalli