Biz Quizzard 517

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

1. Amitabh Bachchan has been roped in to endorse which health drink brand?

2. After branded apples, Mahindra Group is now set to add which fruit to its basket of offerings?

3. Kareena Kapoor has been roped in as the brand ambassador of which ice cream brand?

4. Which company has announced that it is set to acquire messaging service Viber for a deal priced at 900 million dollars?

5. Which company has emerged as the frontrunner in the breakaway brand category, according to Young and Rubicam’s annual brand study – Brand Asset Valuator (BAV)?

6. Celebrities Management Private Ltd, which runs India’s first high-definition (HD) travel channel TravelXP, is planning to expand its bouquet by adding a food channel. What will it be branded as?

7. Sanjay Aggarwal has quit as the CEO of which company?

8. Which company will acquire Loop Mobile in an Rs 700 crore ($112.74 million) deal?

9. Which online travel portal has released a new TVC with the tagline ‘Bookings Done Dona Done Done’?

10. Which brand has retained its spot as India’s most valuable brand, according to Brand Finance Global 500, an annual study conducted by a brand valuation consultancy called Brand Finance?

11. Which Indian group has bought a property, a building called New Court, in London for over £90 million, or around Rs 1,000 crore?

12. Which healthcare company has forayed into Rajasthan by acquiring SK Soni Hospital?

13. King Digital Entertainment PLC will attempt to raise as much as $500 million in an initial public offering. It is the maker of which blockbuster mobile game?

14. Which company is set to acquire drug company Forest Laboratories for $25 billion?

15. Which business personality has succeeded RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani as chairperson of the IIM Bangalore board of governors?

16. Which hotel has received the National Tourism Award 2012- 13 for the best eco-friendly hotel?

17. Which Indian pharma company’s complaint against the owner of a disputed domain name has been denied by an international arbitration panel?

18. Which luxury fortress resort has been named by Lonely Planet as the world’s most extraordinary hotel?

19. Bharti Airtel has become the first company in India to reach which milestone in terms of user base?

20. Which brand has been declared the world’s most powerful brand, according to an annual study conducted by leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance?

21. Which state has unveiled a 20km free Wi-Fi zone, the longest across the globe?

22. The Corporate Affairs Ministry has directed the Registrar of Companies to ensure that no company be registered with which word as part of its title unless it is a Government company?

23. Which IT major has launched what it calls the first ever global Twitter recruitment campaign titled #CoolestInterviewEver?

24. Which well known celebrity wife is all set to launch her brand new interior design store named 'The Design Cell'?

25. Which MNC is buying mobile messaging service WhatsApp for up to $19 billion in cash and stock?

26. Japan's Shiseido Co Ltd has signed a deal to sell skincare brands Decleor and Carita to which MNC for about 230 million Euros ($316.3 million)?

27. Which MNC has announced the signing of Brazil and FC Barcelona forward Neymar as its global brand ambassador?

28. Procter & Gamble (P&G) will be unveiling a new toothbrush in Barcelona. What will it be its claim to fame? (the location is a clue)

29. Which business personality, along with family, will fund the translation of ancient Indian poetry & prose by Harvard University Press?

30. Which business personality has been awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 award for India?

31. Yaduvendra Mathur has been appointed Chairman and Managing Director of which bank?

32. PepsiCo Inc has moved the Delhi High Court against the release of which film on trademark violation?

33. Billionaire hedge fund manager Kenneth Griffin has donated USD 150 million to which college, the largest in its history, to support its financial aid programme?

34. Which business personality has forayed into the sports business by launching Unilazer Sports?

35. Which digital distributor of Bollywood and Tamil cinema music has launched its first Indian ad campaign 'Here's to the Music'?

36. Liberty Shoes Limited (LSL) recently opened a store at Growel’s 101 Mall in Mumbai. Why was this special to the company?

37. Which MNC will launch its new campaign “Make Every Yard Count” ahead of the T20 World Cup?

38. Which company is forming an Rs 125-crore joint venture with DJ Hendrick International Inc and KMDI International to produce high-yielding soybean seeds?

39. Archana Bhargava has opted for voluntary retirement and quit as the chairperson and managing director of which bank?

40. Which company has formed a 51:49 joint venture with U.S.-based The Warranty Group (TWG), a global specialist in offering extended warranty solutions to acquire and retain customers?

41. Which MNC is buying the British-based startup spider.io for its technology to weed out fraud in online advertising?

42. Which brand is encouraging women to put a 'kala teeka' (black dot) through its new campaign?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 517 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 516

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

1. Which company has announced the sale of its luxury hospitality chain, Aman Resorts, back to the company’s founder, Adrian Zecha for $ 358 million?

2. Which MNC’s India arm has acquired the brand Leonardo Olive Oil from Dalmia Continental?

3. Prem Watsa-controlled Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. (TCIL) and which Chennai-headquartered company have announced an Rs 870-crore merger deal?

4. A bunch of IIT and IIM graduates have launched India’s first chain of backpacker hostels. What has it been branded as?

5. Mumbai is getting ready for yet another business district in an area surrounding the swanky new T2 terminal in Sahar. What will it be known as?

6. Which MNC has launched India's first relay running property for students?

7. Which company has roped in former Bharti Airtel executive Vinod Sawhny as its chief executive?

8. Nguyen Ha Dong, a Hanoi-based game developer, has announced the grounding of which popular mobile game?

9. Which business personality has announced an Rs 8 crore donation to the Royal Society of Chemistry to support an innovative chemistry education programme in India for school students?

10. In a move that has rekindled the debate on freedom of speech, which company has withdrawn copies of Indologist Wendy Doniger’s book The Hindus: An Alternative History?

11. Katrina Kaif and MS Dhoni appear together in a television commercial announcing a combo offer of which two brands?

12. Which television channel will introduce the dual-channel concept, a first-in-India concept?

13. The corporate venture arm of which MNC has made a strategic investment in software maker Capillary Technologies, its first investment in India?

14. Which MNC has displaced Maruti Suzuki India to become the second-largest passenger car exporter from India?

15. Hair and beauty salon chain Naturals has roped in which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

16. Which Indian company is setting up a joint venture company with US-based GST AutoLeather Inc, which designs and produces upholstery leather for automotive companies?

17. Which business group has acquired Xandari Resort & Spa Costa Rica?

18. Which MNC has appointed Gurmit Singh as managing director of its India operations?

19. Professional networking site LinkedIn has crossed which milestone in terms of users in Asia-Pacific?

20. According to a report last week, eKart will begin to deliver packages for competitors. It is the logistics arm of which online retailer?

21. Which electronic giant has sought government permission to open company-owned outlets to sell its lighting products under single-brand retail FDI policy?

22. Which HR consulting firm has elevated Jonas Prising as its new CEO, effective May 1, 2014?

23. Which infotainment and audio solutions firm has roped in Sunitha Sarathy, a vocalist and performer in both Indian contemporary and western classical music genres, as its brand ambassador in India?

24. Which company has launched a range of premium fans under the Standard brand?

25. The consumer goods arm of the Godrej group will launch a liquid vapouriser that claims to get rid of mosquitoes in 10 minutes. What has it been branded as?

26. The personal care arm of which company has launched a campaign, #StyleTurf, which urges couples to style themselves and become famous?

27. Not sure but I think I have covered this earlier. Which company has entered into a strategic alliance with CPPIB Credit Investments Inc to float a $500 million realty fund in India?

28. Which company will acquire Time Warner Cable for more than $45 billion in stock, a deal which would combine the biggest and second-biggest cable television operators in the US?

29. Hewlett-Packard India (HP India) has roped in which celebrity as its brand ambassador?

30. In a move which has again sparked online debate about body image issues, which well known brand is featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's 50th anniversary issue? (not a sports or fashion brand)

31. Which media company has announced that it has joined hands with Dev Ellora, Kapil Dev's company, to create Mumbai's team for the upcoming Louis Philippe Golf Cup?

32. Which MNC has launched its new campaign ‘Wear it Well’ to commemorate its 160th anniversary?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 516 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 515

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

1. Consumer goods maker Marico has entered the hair colour business with which brand?

2. Which company has acquired 100% stake in Kineta Power, a privately-owned coal-based 1,980-MW power plant in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, for an undisclosed sum?

3. Which Hollywood actress has become a global partner and spokesperson for spirits company Jim Beam?

4. Which Mumbai-based drugmaker has announced that it will acquire Netherlands-based injectable company Nanomi?

5. Which US-based beauty care products company has roped in actor Asin as its first brand ambassador for India?

6. Tata Motors unveiled a new sedan last week. What has it been branded as?

7. Which automobile MNC plans to drive in a new SUV, Avventura, into the Indian market?

8. Which company is all set to launch Aerosoles, a women’s footwear brand, into the market?

9. Who was sworn in as the first woman US Fed chair last week?

10. Andhra Pradesh-born Satya Nadella is the new CEO of which MNC?

11. For the first time in the history of Indian cinema, which Bollywood movie has been released on Facebook on the same day of its release in theatre?

12. Hyundai Motor India last week unveiled its compact sedan. What has it been branded as?

13. Hilton Worldwide will open its first Conrad hotel in India next year under a management contract with the K Raheja Constructions group. Which city?

14. Advertising professionals Vikram Gaikwad and Vistasp Hodiwala have launched a new agency. What has it been branded as?

15. Which brand has announced that soccer star Lionel “Leo” Messi is the new global face of its upcoming international football campaign ‘Inner Steel’?

16. Which IT outsourcing services provider has unveiled a new corporate identity, with a new logo and tagline ‘unleash the next’?

17. Which company has unveiled a series of concept bikes - Hastur, a 620 cc super premium street fighter motorcycle, and iON, a hydrogen-fuel cell powered two wheel vehicle?

18. PepsiCo and youth channel MTV India have joined hands in a first-of-its-kind alliance to launch a 24-hour Indie Pop channel. What has it been branded as?

19. Which company has unveiled an electric sports concept car, named Halo, at the Auto Expo 2014?

20. Which Indian IT major has announced a foray into the healthcare and wellness business, in collaboration with US-based John Hopkins Medicine International?

21. Which MNC will sell its PC business to buyout firm Japan Industrial Partners?

22. Which state-owned entity’s travel and tour vertical has acquired premier holidays operator Vacations Exotica for an undisclosed amount?

23. Google has launched a corporate video conferencing product. What has it been branded as?

24. Canadian mobile handset and services company BlackBerry has teamed up with which Hyderabad-based testing tools company for assistance in research and development?

25. LG has officially launched its smartphone G Flex in India. What are its two distinctions, with respect to the Indian market?

26. Which portal has unveiled its CSR campaign ‘Menus for Change’ in collaboration with Child Rights and You (CRY), a non-profit organization working for children in India?

27. Which online music broadcasting service has acquired the independent songs portal, Musicfellas.com?

28. Which beverage brand has brought its global campaign idea, ‘Bring out your lighter side’, to India?

29. Which Nasdaq-listed firm has acquired Amsterdam-based hotel bookings portal Easytobook.com (ETB) for $5 million (Rs 30 crore)?

30. The production of which well-known automobile brand was stopped completely from January 18, 2014?

31. Which online travel portal has appointed Vijay Kesavan as the new CEO for its Indian operations?

32. Who has topped Fortune magazine’s latest list of 50 most powerful women in business globally?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 515 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli

Biz Quizzard 514

Presenting the current affairs quiz for the week January 27 - February 01. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Which MNC has recently signed an agreement with Google Inc. to cross-license their patents?

2. Mr Karl Slym died in Thailand recently. He was the managing director of which company?

3. Sony Pictures Entertainment has purchased the film rights to the bestselling memoir 'Lean in'. Who is the author?

4. Which MNC has agreed to acquire privately held artificial intelligence company DeepMind Technologies Ltd?

5. Which company, in association with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, has lit up the Gateway of India?

6. MK Anand is the new managing director and chief executive officer of which media company?

7. Mallika Srinivasan is among the five chosen for Padma Shri awards from trade and industry category this year. She is the Chairman and CEO of which company?

8. Which MNC has rebranded its 'Natural' products as 'Simply'?

9. Which two-wheeler maker has roped in actor Parineeti Chopra as brand ambassador?

10. A Mahendran, backed by private equity fund India Value Fund Advisors, has bought out the domestic pest control business of which company for Rs 150 crore?

11. Ethnic wear chain Fabindia is introducing a western wear line. What has it been branded as?

12. Japanese electric two wheeler maker Terra Motors Corporation last week unveiled an electric superbike in India. What has it been branded as?

13. Aditya Birla Group’s fibre division, Birla Cellulose is entering the fashion retail segment with which brand?

14. Which business school from India has made it to the top 100 in the Financial Times (London) Global MBA Ranking list for the first time?

15. According to a report last week, which brand is coming out with its new campaign ‘Moments on a Menu’ in the first week of February?

16. Which MNC has acquired Law & Kenneth, the New Delhi-based independent agency led by adman Praveen Kenneth?

17. Italian car giant Fiat has announced it is changing its name. What is the new name?

18. Which company has unveiled a 150cc, diesel-powered concept motorcycle codenamed “RNT’?

19. Which company has acquired Aragen Bioscience Inc., a US-based pre-clinical contract research organisation (CRO), for an undisclosed amount?

20. In less than two years after buying it, Google is selling its Motorola Mobility cell phone unit to which MNC for $2.91 billion?

21. Ajoy Misra will be the new managing director and CEO of which company?

22. Which brand has emerged as the most trusted brand in the country, in Trust Research Advisory’s (TRA) Brand Trust Report (BTR), 2014?

23. Which business group has sold its Canada-based business and technology outsourcing firm Minacs to a group of investors led by Capital Square Partners and CX Partners, a PE fund?

24. Sumit Sawhney will be elevated as CEO and MD of the Indian operations of which automobile MNC?

25. Nigel Harris will be the new president & MD for the Indian unit of which automobile MNC?

26. Which celebrity has been signed up as the first global ambassador for SodaStream International Ltd, an Israeli soft drinks company with a large manufacturing presence in the West Bank?

27. Pope Francis has made history by becoming the first religious figurehead to be featured on the cover of which magazine?

28. The light commercial vehicle (LCV) joint venture of Ashok Leyland and Nissan has launched a 27-seater bus. What has it been branded as?

29. Which company has launched SafeEye, a technology solution that school administrators and parents can utilise to ensure safety of children travelling to and from school?

30. Cadbury India is all set to launch a new product under the 5 Star brand to take on Snickers. What has it been branded as?

31. The Indian arm of Denmark-based fashion house Bestseller last week applied to Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) to bring FDI into which casual wear brand?

32. Which media company has forayed into Indonesia with the launch of two channels, Bioskop and Veria Living?

33. Which spirits brand has unveiled its new global campaign ‘Light is within’?

34. Former Reliance Power chief JP Chalasani has been appointed Group CEO and director at which infrastructure major?

35. Which airport in south India has once again become non-functional with SpiceJet operating its last flight on January 31?

Please mail your answers on or before next Sunday to rajeevkondapalli@gmail.com with Biz Quizzard 514 as the subject.

Happy learning!
rajeev kondapalli