OBQ 1365: In Topgear.

The automobiles sales are declining in India, and that should have these guys worried as they are part of the automobile ecosystem. But given their business model and some big-time financial backers they are in a sweet-spot to make most out of this downturn.

Identify the founders and the company that they started.

Answers:Vikram Chopra and Mehul Agarwal, the founders of Cars 24.

OBQ 1364: A diversified portfolio.

After a specific point investment is more art than science, specially if your investments are directly linked with your countries future. Here is an investment trust managing such portfolio.

Identify the company and country in question.

Answer: Qatar and its sovereign investment arm. 

OBQ 1363: The demand is infinite

Depending on the way you look at this logo you either see symbol of infinite or you see a heart, regardless of what you see you will be right, because the loyal lady customers of this brand simply love it, and the investors see infinite profits thanks to this loyalty.

Identify the brand.

Answer: Colorbar.

Tata Crucible Corporate Quiz 2019 schedule is out!

A couple of weeks later than yesteryear the Tata Crucible Corporate Quiz will kick off in a week's time from Guwahati, In total 21 cities will be covered in four zones.

So be prepared and keep watching this space for more details and also the Ahmedabad regional finals on 4th September.

As always, all cities and venue details are yet to emerge for more details go to the Tata Crucible Site

OBQ 1362: The classy retailer.

Retailing is a low margin business (even for Amazon Inc), so it helps if you can create your identity as a premium retailer and boost your business through that.

This retailer that has gone through a lot of transformation in over 100 years has managed to get that premium positioning in minds of its customer.

Connect and identify the retailer.

Answer:Target corporation

OBQ 1361: Once in 200 years deal.

When you are a businessman and a politician from one of the strongest economy in the world you can propose the most outlandish deals, and just like Godfather you may think that this is a deal that can't be refused, but here comes a guy with grit and guts who says no.

Here is a gentleman who has denied (at-least initially) probably the biggest deal in last two hundred years.  It probably takes some Nordic blood to do so ;)

Who is he and what deal am I talking about?

Answer: He is Ken Kielsen and is premier of Greenland, and he said no to Donald Trump who intends to buy Greenland.

OBQ 1360: Carbs Connection.

World runs on carbs, the irony though is that due to some ill informed theories peddled by some page 3 personalities people consider carbohydrate as poison. Not for this fast casual food chain though who proudly flaunts all the breads on its menu and also on its logo.

Identify the firm from its logo.

Answer: Panera Bread

OBQ 1359: Business Chemistry.

Chemicals are omnipresent, even the man made ones, from the food that you eat to the air that you breathe and there is one company that has built a business model so salient that regardless of nature of human activity their chemicals are always in demand.

Connect these images to an industrial giant which had its origin in the era of Industrial revolution.

Answer: Akzo Nobel

OBQ 1358: What the doctor ordered.

Tea started as a medicinal product in west, so when the founder of this company had to select a name for its brand he choose a Chinese word (because hey Chai is Chinese) for it that meant Doctor, the brand has done great in its home market and stands strong for more than 100 years now.

So on the eve of India's Independence day identify the British brand owned by an Indian company from its witty ad.

Answer: Typhoo

OBQ 1357: Industrial machine, losing steam?

USA has long been hailed as the best of the Capitalistic Industrial Machine, but with fierce competition from East and poor economics and politics from within, there have been some sign of it losing some of its clout. Here is a sign of that problem, the part of flag marked in red was once the engine of US's growth in last 150 years but now it is the part that is a telltale sign of a flagging economy.

What is the part in the map called?

Answer: Rust belt

OBQ 1356: Its all about experience.

As the foodies of India load up calories on discounts thanks to the cutthroat rivalry between Food delivery apps, there is someone who is trying to waddle in the Blue Ocean. For most people food is not just about stuffing food in mouth but the whole experience which you rarely get at home.

Identify logo of the company that is trying to get a slice of dine-in business.

Answer: Eazydiner.

OBQ 1355: Bigwig shopping spree.

Have money will shop has been mantra for the shopaholics for long time. Here is a shopaholic of a different kind, with deep pockets and penchant for disrupting industries after industries.

Here is a sample of the latest acquisitions by this big shot of a company and its stalwart owner, this time with plan to disrupt the tech industry.

Identify who is the shopper, and if you are really smart name each of the acquisitions.

Answer: Reliance Industries Ltd/Mukesh Ambani, they bought Saavn, Haptik and Fynd.

OBQ 1354: Timeless timekeeper

The concept of time has us all in its thrall, and so goes the tradition of watchmaking which even in this digital era is inspired by some of the best watchmakers in the world. He is one of them, his innovations have made watch what they are today, and some of his timepieces are still working with flawless precision even 200 years after his death.

Who is he?

Answer: Abraham-Louis Breguet

OBQ 1353: Exchange value.

Acquisitions are often seen as Silver bullets that can help boost value by creating synergies, however more often than not they can also distract from core issues of business and destroy value because of tricky integration issues.

Here is one recent case of big ticket acquisition that involves a staggering sticker price where a well known & established company tries and acquire a fancy new entity to ensure that it stays relevant. Would it? Only time will tell.

Identify the logo of the company that got acquired.

Answer; Refinitiv holdings bought by London Stock Exchange

OBQ 1352: The culinary cauldron

The legendary blue ribbon which is at center of this institution has kept inspiring best of the best for more than 100 years and churned out more Michelin stars than there are in sky.  And now just like its network the stars are also scattered across the globe.

Connect these images to the institution in question.

Answer: Le Cordon Bleu