May 13, 2012

Biz Quizzard 424 1. Which business group is the only Indian entity which has managed to find a place in the list of ten best companies for leadership in Asia, according to a study by management consultancy giant Hay Group? 2. Which MNC has been named as the world's most valuable information technology (IT) services brand by leading global brand valuation company Brand Finance? 3. Which company has launched a cloud-based digital marketing platform, BrandEdge, in partnership with Fabric, a WPP company? 4. Which MNC will now retail its luxury watch brands separately through The Time Factory chain of luxury stores? 5. Jubilant FoodWorks, the Indian distributor of Domino's Pizza, last week launched the first Indian store of which American brand? 6. Who has been signed on by Mankind Pharma as the brand ambassador for their Manforce condoms? 7. A modified Toyota Prius was recently given approval by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles for the nation's first autonomous vehicle licence. Which MNC has been given the licence? 8. Andrew Moss has stepped down as the CEO of which MNC, the latest UK CEO to leave amid investor anger over pay? 9. Which company has topped the Transnationality Ranking of Indian companies, according to a survey by the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, and Fundacao Dom Cabrall (Business School), Brazil? 10. The India-born chief executive of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi is ranked fourth by Fortune in the list of Fortune 500's "female powerbrokers". Who has topped the list? 11. Just a week after announcing the end of a six-year agreement with Tata Motors, Italian carmaker Fiat SpA opened its first Fiat-only showroom in India. Which city? 12. Which MNC has become the biggest American corporation in the Fortune magazine's list of top 500 US companies?

13. Which bank has opened a branch named Yuva especially for the youth? 14. Which Indian company last week announced that it was acquiring three comparative shopping websites PriceGrabber, Lower-MyBills.com and ClassesUSA.com - from USbased Experian for a consideration of $175 million (around Rs 930 crore)? 15. After the Big Mac index and the iPod index, here comes the Club Sandwich Index by Hotels.com. Which city has just been deemed the most expensive city in the world to order a club sandwich? 16. Which MNC has acquired a 76.2% stake in Bangalore-based fire solutions company FirePro Systems? 17. Which retailer is diversifying into accessories and creating a range of stylish pens under its own brand name targeted at women in the corporate world, and professionals such as doctors? 18. Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd (SMIPL) has made its first foray into the mass motorcycles segment with the launch of a 110-cc bike. What has it been branded as? 19. Which Indian company last week said it has entered into a tie-up with London-based spectacle designer Tom Davies? 20. The rogue trader is back. Which MNC bank last week said it suffered a trading loss of $2 billion from a failed hedging strategy by a London-based trader nicknamed the London Whale? Answers: 1. Tata Group 2. TCS 3. Infosys 4. Timex 5. Dunkin' Donuts 6. Sunny Leone 7. Google 8. Aviva Plc 9. Tata Steel 10. Meg Whitman 11. Hyderabad 12. 13. SBI 14. Ybrant Digital 15. Paris

16. 17. Lawrence and Mayo (L&M) 18. Hayate 19. Himalaya Opticals 20. JPMorgan

May 6, 2012
Biz Quizzard 423 1. Which brand has ended Bagpiper whiskys seven year stint as the largest selling Indian spirits brand? 2. Which business personality has retained the crown of Britains richest, according to the annual Sunday Times Rich list? 3. Which company has signed an equal joint venture with Luxembourg-based RTL Group SA, and is set to launch its first action entertainment channel, Thrill? 4. Who has assumed the office of chairman of Nasscom, the industry body of the countrys $100 billion Indian IT-BPO sector? 5. Which company will acquire a majority stake in 'Pantaloon' chain of fashion apparel and accessories stores? 6. Which celebrity is the new brand ambassador for Asia's largest stem cell banking network CordLife? 7. Which well known brand has rolled out its new global campaign with the tagline "Live for Now"? 8. Which company will acquire Australian analytics firm Promax Applications Group for A$35 million (Rs 192 crore)? 9. Director General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), SK Srivastava, is the new chairman of which company? 10. Which well known personality would be conferred The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun title by Japan for his contribution in strengthening economic relations between Japan and India? 11. Which company will become the first airline in the world to make its own fuel? 12. Volkswagen India has roped in which actor as the brand ambassador for its Think Blue initiative? 13. Star India is launching its second Hindi movies channel after Star Gold. What has it been branded as?

14. Which business group signed an agreement to partner Malaysian business conglomerate Melewar Group to start English training solutions or ETL product 'Direct English' in India? 15. Yesteryear superstar Rajesh Khanna has appeared in his maiden TV commercial for which brand? 16. Which MNC has announced a deal with the estate of Michael Jackson to use the late pop star's image for its new global marketing push? 17. Ashish Dikshit has been named as the new CEO of which apparel maker? 18. Bajaj Auto Ltds (BAL) Pulsar brand has crossed which milestone? 19. Staying on with automobiles and milestones, which car brand in India has crossed the two lakh unit sales mark within three years of its launch? 20. Which MNC has bought the worlds largest slide sharing site SlideShare for about Rs 640 crore ($119 million) from Rashmi Sinha and her brother Amit Ranjan? Answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Officers choice L N Mittal Reliance N Chandrasekaran Aditya Birla Shilpa Shetty Pepsi Wipro OIL Ratan Tata Delta

12. Neil Nitin Mukesh 13. Movies OK 14. Yash Birla 15. Havells fans 16. Pepsi 17. Madura Fashion & Lifestyle 18. 50 lakhs bikes sold 19. Maruti Ritz 20. LinkedIn

April 29, 2012

venture global in a strategic partnership with which MNC? 2. The founders of which MNC have teamed up with "Avatar" director James Cameron and other investors to back Planetary Resources, an ambitious space exploration and natural resources venture? 3. Which writing instruments company plans to enter the premium pen category with the brand Cruiser by August? 4. Which automobile MNC recently unveiled its first sport-utility vehicle in almost two decades? 5. Confectionery major Perfetti Van Melle India has signed on which celebrity as brand ambassador for its all new Alpenliebe 2 Choco Eclairs brand? 6. Which MNC has agreed to buy Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW) for 1.04 billion pounds ($1.9 billion)? 7. Which MNC is to buy US drug maker Pfizer's infant nutrition business for $11.85 billion? 8. Which MNC last week announced Alan Clark, the head of its European unit, as its next chief executive? 9. Which brand has launched its new campaign 'Pyaas Badhao'? 10. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has become the first IT services company in the country to cross which milestone? 11. Which MNC has launched a new ad campaign in India, 'Solutions Delivered'? 12. South actress Tamanna Bhatia has been roped in as brand ambassador for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for which beverage brand? 13. Which automobile MNC last week launched a special edition of its latest sports utility vehicle, designed in association with Victoria Beckham? 14. Which global communications giant has acquired Indigo Consulting, one of the leading digital marketing and web development agencies in India, for an undisclosed amount? 15. Which well known MNC has launched a print campaign to celebrate its 200 years? 16. Kishore Jayaraman, former Chief Executive Officer of General Electric Energy (India), has been named the president of which MNC for India and South Asia? 17. Google has announced the launch of its cloud storage service. What has it been branded as? 18. Which apparel brand has forayed into the soft luggage segment? 19. Which 125-years-old British bicycles manufacturer has agreed to a takeover by Dutch rival Accell Group for 76 million euros ($100 million) including debt?

20. Which mobile phone maker has signed up adult film actor star Sunny Leone to endorse a range of handsets for the mass market in the country? 21. Which iconic automobile brand was last week relaunched in India? 22. Which company has been adjudged the most attractive employer in India by HR Services provider Randstad? 23. Which company has rolled out its national consumer initiative "One Watt Campaign - Lets Save a Billion Watts"? 24. Which MNC overtook Nokia as the worlds biggest vendor of mobile phones for the first time, ending the Finnish companys 14-year run as the global leader?

Answers 1. P&G 2. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and billionaire co-founder Larry Page 3. Linc 4. Lamborghini 5. Kareena Kapoor 6. Vodafone 7. Nestle 8. SABMiller 9. Limca 10. $ 10-billion revenue mark 11. FedEx Express 12. Fanta 13. JLR 14. Publicis Group 15. Citigroup 16. Rolls-Royce 17. Google Drive 18. Peter England 19. Raleigh Cycle 20. Chaze Mobile 21. Piaggio Vespa 22. Microsoft India 23. Godrej Appliances 24. Samsung

April 21, 2012

India? 3. Danish business magnate Maersk McKinney Moller died recently at the age of 98. He was associated with which business group? 4. Which company has entered into an exclusive partnership with Google to market all devices built on Android platform for two years in India with its 3G connection and other facilities? 5. Which celebrity is making a debut in the world of commercial fitness with the venture SportsFit World Pvt. Ltd., to open 200 gyms across the country in five years? 6. Bharti Airtel has created a separate branding for its enterprise business in a bid to create its own identity among corporate customers. What will it be called? 7. Which business personality has been elected as chairman of US India Business Council (USIBC), the business advocacy group in America? 8. Which well known business personalitys son has bought a 60% stake in Chennai-based Primex Healthcare, a medical diagnostics chain? 9. Jim Yong Kim has been chosen to be president of which international body? 10. Which chief executive features in a list of the 10 most influential voices on Twitter in India, released by Burson-Marsteller? 11. Which company has announced that it has acquired global rights of German major Bayers molecular imaging portfolio? 12. Which broadcaster announced its foray into event management in India with the launch of its on-ground division Event Management Group (EMG) in the country? 13. Which milestone has Dabur India surpassed in the 2011-12 fiscal? 14. HR solutions provider Ma Foi Randstad has changed its name. What will it be known as? 15. Which company will purchase Italian motorcycle maker Ducati Motor Holding SpA to add luxury two-wheelers ridden by celebrities such as Brad Pitt to its portfolio? 16. Bangalore-based start-up Redwood Associates is set to launch a data analytics-based B2C job search portal. What has it been branded as? 17. Which MNC has decided to introduce the 'hug machine' campaign across Asia? 18. Which BPO major last week said it will acquire Accounting Plaza, a provider of finance and accounting (F&A) and human resources (HR) services, for an undisclosed sum? 19. Katrina Kaif has been signed on as the brand ambassador for which chocolate brand? 20. Which company has signed on hockey players Sandeep Singh, Sardar Singh and

Shivendra as brand ambassadors? 21. Rich Ross resigned under pressure as chairman of which MNCs movie studio after a less than three-year run that included the release of "John Carter," one of the biggest flops in recent Hollywood history? 22. Which business personality has been elected president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2012-13? 23. Which brand has launched its new campaign 'What makes us Click' and has roped in Anushka Sharma as its endorser? 24. Intel has tied up with which company for the launch of Xolo X900, the first smartphone with Intel inside? 25. Which automobile MNC has announced Salman Khan as its first brand ambassador for India? Answers 1. Maruti Ertiga 2. 3. 4. RCom 5. M S Dhoni 6. Airtel Business 7. Ajay Banga (Mastercard CEO) 8. Agnivesh Agarwal, son of Vedanta Resources executive Chairman Anil Agarwal 9. World Bank 10. 11. Piramal 12. ESPN Star Sports 13. $1 billion turnover 14. Randstad India 15. Audi 16. LookBeyondResumes 17. Coca-Cola 18. Genpact 19. Choc On 20. Jaypee 21. Walt Disney 22. Adi Godrej 23. Canon 24. Lava 25. Suzuki two-wheelers

April 15, 2012

1. Which MNC is acquiring a 30 per cent stake as part of a strategic alliance with the Hyderabad-based MAA TV and its network of Telugu channels? 2. Which MNC has named Johnson & Johnson executive Sherilyn McCoy as its new CEO? 3. Which MNC will pay $1 billion in cash and stock for photo-sharing application Instagram? 4. Which company last week launched the country's first 4G service in Kolkata? 5. Which company has emerged as the most reputed company in India in a survey by Nielsen? 6. Which company has signed a business collaboration arrangement with Vestergaard Frandsen, Switzerland, for introduction of household water purification devices in India? 7. Dr Yasmine Hilton will be the new chairman for the Indian operations of which energy company? 8. Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific (Turner) has decided to cease business operations of which Hindi general entertainment channel from April 12? 9. Which Indian company has bought UKs Adelie Food Group for $350 million from PE firm Duke Street Capital? 10. Which channel has become the first Indian television channel to enter the Chinese market? 11. Which MNC has launched the 'We Are All Owners' campaign that celebrates India's crazy, colourful and all-consuming passion for cricket? 12. Japans Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company has agreed to buy out a 26% stake in which life insurance company? 13. Coca-Cola has roped in which celebrity to endorse its fizzy lime-lemon drink Limca? 14. Which business school in India has signed a memorandum of understanding with Karachi-based Institute of Business Administration (IBA) to impart executive education to Pakistan corporate? 15. Mr RH Patil, 75, passed away last week in Mumbai. He was the founder of which well known financial institution? Answers: 1. Sony 2. Avon

3. Facebook 4. Bharti Airtel 5. Tata Motors 6. TTK Prestige 7. Shell India 8. Imagine 9. Indian Hospitality Corp 10. Zee TV 11. Adidas 12. New York Life 13. Kareena Kapoor 14. ISB 15. NSE

April 8, 2012
1. Which brand has entered the brown beverage market with the launch of its protein-rich product for children? 2. Kolkata-based FMCG firm Emami is foraying into the glucose energy drink category under which brand? 3. Gautam Kiyawat has been appointed as the new CEO of which media agency? 4. Which media conglomerate has acquired Suvi Info Management (Indore) Pvt Ltd whose subsidiary Naidunia Media Ltd publishes Hindi daily 'Nai Dunia' in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh? 5. Which broadcaster has won the muchawaited bid for BCCIs television, mobile and internet rights for all international and national matches to be played in India for the next six years? 6. Which MNC bank has appointed Stuart Milne to head its Indian operations as chief executive officer? 7. Which MNC has announced Hironori Kanayama as the new CEO for its car operations in India? 8. S Narsing Rao has been appointed chairman and managing director of which company for a fiveyear term? 9. Which e-commerce portal has acquired esportsbuy.com, an online sports goods retailer founded by two IIT alumni? 10. Which two well known companies have got into a tie-up to collaborate in setting up a chain of beauty and wellness formats across the country? 11. Madhu Kannan, the managing director of BSE, will join which business group as group head, business development? 12. Which company last week entered the tablet PC market by launching FunBook, priced at just Rs 6,499?

13. Which company will be title partner for Kings XI Punjab team in IPL 5? 14. Which automobile MNC is set to build its first pure sports car since 1975 as it bids to take on the giants of the sector? 15. Toyota Kirloskar has roped in which cricketer as its brand ambassador? 16. Which company has acquired UK-based provider of ship control and automation systems Thalest for 3 million (Rs 24 crore), to use the British firms technology for commercial and naval ships? 17. Who has been promoted as the joint managing director of Future Group from April 1? 18. Which automobile major has launched a new global brand campaign called 'Live Brilliant'?

Answers: 1. Amul 2. Zandu 3. Madison Medion 4. Jagran Prakashan 5. Sony Entertainment Television 6. HSBC 7. Honda Siel Cars India 8. CIL 9. Snapdeal 10. Reliance & HUL 11. Tata Sons 12. Micromax 13. Videocon 14. JLR 15. Virat kohli 16. L & T 17. Rakesh Biyani 18. Hyundai

April 1, 2012
1. Which company has unveiled its new punch logo developed through a crowdsourcing exercise? 2. Which MNC has appointed Claus Heckerott as the managing director of its Indian operations with immediate effect?

3. Which company will soon launch three mid-range brands Royal Linen, Moretti and Zenesis? 4. The financial services arm of which company has agreed to buy Fidelitys Indian funds, becoming the tenth-biggest equity fund house in a highly fragmented and competitive market? 5. Which celebrity will play a double role as the brand ambassador and an investor for travel portal yatra.com? 6. Two global advertising giants Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group have come together to form the first joint venture to handle creative duties for which brand across the world? 7. Which health supplement brand has roped in Salman Khan as its brand ambassador? 8. For which brand has Coca-Cola India for the first time used any regional star for a national campaign? 9. Which MNC is set to launch a new global brand platform and direction themed Hello Tomorrow? 10. Actor and producer Siddharth has been roped in as the first brand ambassador for which beverage brand? 11. Which Indian business personality is among the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time according to a Fortune magazine list that is topped by Apple's late chief Steve Jobs? 12. Which company will be the principal sponsor for IPL team Deccan Chargers? 13. Which health insurance company has roped in Sourav Ganguly as its brand ambassador? 14. Which company has launched a range of flavoured salts called Flavoritz across major cities, marking the entry of first indigenous brands of flavoured salts in India? 15. Which brand has launched a new campaign with the positioning Dil jawaan toh Zindagi Alishaan? 16. Which automobile group has announced the launch of TOMCAR, a military grade, highperformance all-terrain vehicle originally designed for military and border patrol use, in India? 17. Which apparel brand has launched its new brand identity, adopting a contemporary version of the Stag as its new brand mark?

18. Which beverage brand has launched its first online brand campaign, 'Brand New Day.'? 19. Which well known international celebrity is launching her debut scent Truth or Dare? 20. Which well known chain has completed 13 years of its operations in India and has launched a campaign to celebrate the anniversary? Answers: 1. Micromax 2. Adidas 3. Siyaram 4. L & T Finance 5. Salman Khan 6. Chevrolet 7. Revital 8. Thums Up 9. Emirates 10. Frooti 11. Narayana Murthy 12. Jaypee Cement 13. VVF 14. Tata Salt 15. Saffola Life 16. Malini Group 17. Allen Solly 18. Tata Global Beverages 19. Madonna 20. Barista Lavazza