OBQ 1252: Happy New Year!

Nop, this is not just OBQ wishing you a happy new year, its actually about this gentleman who will be yet another person of Indian origin to take charge of this global giant on 1st January.

Who is he? And which company will he lead?

Answer: Rajesh Subramaniam the new CEO of Fedex.

OBQ 1251: Ancient urges.

Hospitality business is tough to win in, but not if you are this brand, and you are offering something that has appealed to mankind for millennia.

Identify the hospitality chain brand from the images below.

Answer: Barbecue nation

OBQ 1250: Yes professor.

Very few academic command great respect among business people, he is an exception, because what he thinks and writes might very well decide the value of their business.

So you better be listening what he says.

Who is he?

Answer: Aswath Damodaran, the valuation guru.

OBQ 1249: Different sounding businesses

The company that was started almost a 100 years ago in Italy had initially two products at its heart, one mechanical and another electrical, over the last century it has become more and more known for its mechanical machine whose thudding sounds are melody to some.

Identify the company from an old commercial...

Answer: Ducati

OBQ 1248: Listing gains

This is a tough question, so I am going to give plenty of hints.

Companies, depend on government policy and their own innovativeness to gain better valuations, changes in US legislation made it possible in first place for this company to list, and given that its in is booming "Biomedical"niche it had tremendous listing gains once the company went public.

Identify the company from its logo.

Best of luck!

Answer: Tilray, the first marijuana company to list.

OBQ 1247: Ideas that stick.

Ideas are hard to come by and when they come they are hard to execute, here is company that has not just done well with product ideas but also with making those ideas resonate with its customer, many times over.

Thanks to that it has created a portfolio of products that has amazing stickiness!

Identify the company.

Answer: Pidilite industris, the manufacturer of the brands like Fevicol and Feviquick

OBQ 1246: Defeating death.

The sports that he loved consumed him, quite literally but something that he started ensured that his name and the business attached to it  continued its legacy many years after his death.

Who is he?

Answer: Bruce Mclaren

OBQ 1245: Global Desi Chartbuster!

From its humble religious roots, to its rather funky image these days this Indian company has made it large in the world of Online entertainment and is literally Chart-busting.

Identify the juggernaut.

Answer: T-series.

OBQ 1244: #Old money.

Here is a company from Far east whose origin can be traced back to seventeenth century, its logo looks like a form of hashtag but it means something completely different in its country of origin.

Identify this business group from its logo.

Answer: Mitsui corporation.

OBQ 1243: Having the last laugh.

This company is playing bit of a tug-of-war with its Indian counterpart for over a decade to establish dominance in Asian healthcare market and with its patient strategy and some stupidity by its competitor it is the one having the last laugh.

Identify the company/holding company.

Answer: IHH Health group.

OBQ 1242: The Fortune teller.

This institution is  a benchmark to which all businesses compare themselves with their peers, its 500 years of presence has just proved that probably one of the most shock proof of business is the business of fortune telling.

Answer: London Stock Exchange

OBQ 1241: The Design Gods.

Hallmark of a good design is that it blends with the nature, this company has powered many companies by its design and help them get to an iconic status.

Identify the company.

Answer: Frog Design

OBQ 1240: Heir apparent.

He is going to get the reins of a sprawling empire pretty soon, his job would be not just to grow the empire but to also keep it safe from the raiders.

Identify him.

Answer: Alan Jope the new chief at Unilever

OBQ 1239: The corporate fiction.

Sometime business media describe corporate leaders as superheros, and in this case the Japanese literally had a comic series dedicated to him and he was all the rage...and then things went downhill.

Who is he?

Answer: Carlos Goshn

OBQ 1238: Stylists to the adventurers.

The company that started and initially thrived by dressing the most adventurous of the explorers and soldiers is now making the big bucks by selling its ware to a rather sophisticated clientèle.

Though what has stayed throughout this journey is its patented trademark checks pattern which also contains the colors from its original logo.

Which iconic fashion brand would you associate this check pattern with?

Answer: Burberry

OBQ 1237: Your typical Zaibatsu.

Here is Japanese company that has bit by bit captured niches of the electronic industries and has qualified to be known as a worthy Zaibatsu.

Identify the company from its logo.

Answer: Kyocera

OBQ 1236: Global to its core.

The company has many firsts to its name, and its name stands to confirm its global character, and true to its name the brand is always there to help the globetrotters.

Identify the company, the gentleman in the second image and what he is doing holds the key to the answer. The first logo can confuse you if you don't know the overall connect.

Answer: Intercontinental Hotel Group

OBQ 1235: Kid's stuff.

What at once seemed to be a creative outlet for this gentleman has become a cashcow and online sensation world over for many years running. She is the inspiration and he is workhorse and today they are a rare breed of Indian e-celebs.

Who are they and what did they create?

Answer:Chu Chu TV

OBQ 1234: Beauty is behind the lense.

Apart from being image of some iconic personalities these images have also a more tangible connection, connect them to a brand almost as iconic as them.

Answer: All pictures taken by Leica camera

OBQ 1233: The many-headed dragon.

Here is the army of red,blue and green that has invaded India and looking at them they look like fierce competitors but when you look closely you realize that this are different heads of the same dragon that is eating up market share by day.

Name the company/brands/founder...

Answer: Duan Yongping, his BBK electornics owns mobile phone brands like 1+,Oppo and Vivo

OBQ 1232: Taking a bite.

Among the warming diplomatic relations between India and South Korea, this Korean giant has decided to take a big bite out of Indian market through a major acquisition.

Identity the company from its logo.

Answer: Lotte confectionary the Korean company that acquired Havmor

OBQ 1231: On a strong footing.

The company is as old as India as an independent country, and with India it has grown into an able entity widely respected around the world.

Connect these images to a company name.

Answer: Larsen & Toubro

OBQ 1230: Bottling the legacy.

For most of us what is a commodity is the elixir for this company, and thanks to it they have been minting for more than 100 years. What started as a premium getaway for few is now a multi-billion dollar brand.

Here is the photo of the original facility, connect it to an iconic brand.

Answer: San Pellegrino, the also own spas around their famous lake streams.

OBQ 1229: Growing challenges.

Here is an Institution that served well for India's needs for 20th century, but in 21st century it is finding hard to meet needs of a growing and ambitious country.

Identify the coveted organization which is now publicly listed.

Answer: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

OBQ 1228: Yellow, yellow...

If one colour can be associated with this brand then its yellow, and this gentleman gave the brand his name. The company that he started has made its name by making dirty work look glamorous!

Who is he?

Answer: J C Bamford of JCB

OBQ 1227: A fabulous man.

Even before the term "fortune at the bottom of the pyramid" was coined this man saw an opportunity in a foreign country and built a brand that is a win win for everyone involved, 50 year on and the company is still flourishing.

Identify him and the company he started.

Answer: John Bissell the founder of Fabindia

OBQ 1226: Adding some fireworks this Diwali.

Though born in Europe this brand finds India as its home and its second home is helping to revitalize it the second time around.

Identify the brand.

Answer: Jawa motorcycles being resurrected by Mahindra.

OBQ 1225: Crazy stats.

Here is a chart that will through you off a bit, and that's all I am going to say about it. Look at the chart with fresh eyes and tell me what is it about?

Answer: These are the largest producers of Petroleum, and surprisingly USA tops the charts.

OBQ 1224: Origin of shopping mania.

You will be wrong if you think that shopping while sitting on your couch is a recent phenomenon. This outrageously successful company from past can put moder day e-commerce giants to shame.

They sold everything from watches to toys and even firearms.

Identify the company from this sample of their product listings.

Answer: A Sears catalog.

OBQ 1223: Empire strikes back (Chinese version)

Here is one of the many Chinese companies that is doing its own version of string of pearls strategy, by acquiring some marquee brands from gone by era and building a formidable portfolio to carve out a place for itself.

It feels like a Chinese version of Empire strikes back.

Identify the company from its logo.

Answer: SAIC, which  now owns brands like MG Motors.

OBQ 1222: Whose child is it anyways?

You rarely see a prodigal child disowned by so many parents, may be it reflects on parent's character ;-)

In the world of business this is one such brand that despite its fame and success has been sold by its parent companies multiple times.

Identify the brand.

Answer: Complan

OBQ 1221: Ye bhi apt hai.

Count on Amul girl to come up with something apt every week, this time around though it was about its own identity and its founding. Identify the revolutionary and gentleman that played a pivotal role in establishing Amul.

Answer: A tribute to Tribhuvandas Patel, Amul was his brain child.

OBQ 1220: The killer player.

Here is a killer on prowl, not literally. This online sensation has taken the world into grips for sometime now and its app downloads are just killing it.

Identify the app/online phenomena.

Answer: Player Unknown Battle Ground (PUBG)

OBQ 1219: May G Force be with you.

To survive in tech industry for 25 years is no mean feat, this innovation powerhouse has done it through making some innovative products, that makes everything from a car, to an ultrasound a much better product than it normally is.

They surely are envy of many and that's also what their name means in Latin!

Identify the company.

Answer: Nvidia

OBQ 1218: The big cheese

This group of companies can be the next big cheese of Indian business scene, they have empire spanning from the seas to your kitchen and for now it seems that there is nothing stopping them.

Identify the business group from its logo.

Answer: Adani.

OBQ 1217: Aces dont age.

While some see age eroding appeal of mere mortals, this brand saw their new brand ambassador as an evergreen mascot for their brand.

Connect to the brand.

Answer: Uniqlo/ Fast retail.

OBQ 1216: In the eye of storm.

A company that is known to create problems for party on the opposite side seems to have created storm for all the wrong reasons.

Identify the company.

Answer: Dassault Aviation the makers of Rafale jets.

OBQ 1215: Right shift.

Here is a team that is determined to change the way Indians commute, and they have taken the challenge by starting a business from scratch that will help us do that.

Connect to a company.

Answer; Ather Energy, they have just come out with a range of Electric scooters.

OBQ 1214: Big heels to fill in.

Here is a man who will soon be at helm one of the giants of corporate world. One thing is for sure, the kind of a predecessor he had he will have to do a lot both on perception and performance to prove himself a worthy successor.

Answer: Ramon Laguarta the next CEO of Pepsico.

OBQ 1213: Harvard and Hardwork both!

Here is a person who has recently shot to fame for being appointed in one of the important job in this world, however even without she had the education and track record of hardwork that will stand true on its own.

Connect these images to a super smart person.

Answer: Gita Gopinath.

OBQ 1212: Flying high.

If you have lived in India you must have seen this simple logo increasingly and everywhere. Unlike most of the company this is not a logo used by a single entity but a group a entities whose core mission is to take India digital.

Name the companies that use this as their identity.

Answer: This tricolor logo is used for BHIM, NPCI, UPI etc. So all of those are right answers!

OBQ 1211: History that haunts.

Here is a luxury goods manufacturer to emerge out of Europe in 20th century, it is always knowns for great craftsmanship and amazing products, but some of its customers have gone down in history as the worst of the bad boys, and this association still haunts this company.

Identify the company from this product catalog.

Answer: Hugo Boss

OBQ 1210: Cut the ...

Here is a company that wants to completely change the way we communicate and coordinate in companies by cutting emails and websites and doing work through its cool app.

Identify the company/app from its logo.

Answer: Slack

OBQ 1209: Festivities and business.

Well, this question is surely a bit offbeat.

Like Diwali is to India and Thanksgiving is to USA, this festival is to some part of the world. Like all festivals this festival also triggers bing shopping and sales of certain delicacies shoot-up.  Some people even track sales of this item to track health of the economy of the country.

Which festival has such huge business significance? And where is it mainly celebrated?

Answer: Mid-Autumn festival that is celebrated in China and few other South East Asian countries.

OBQ 1208: The apartment start-up

We have all heard about Garage start-ups, from HP to Apple but here is a new breed of start-up. This is an apartment start-up. This is the apartment linked to the humble beginning of this company, which is now a world beater.

Identify the company that was founded here.

Answer:: This is where Alibaba started.

OBQ 1207: The most likeable techie.

After co-creating one of the biggest tech company and quitting it, this founder has stayed true to his character and created/invested similar ventures.

Connect these images to a businessman.

Answer: Dustin Moskovitz

OBQ 1206: Desert outing for Billionaires.

What started as spiritual outing for a bunch of esoteric types is now probably the biggest informal gathering of billionaires in the world.

Identify the event from its logo.

Answer: Burning man festival

OBQ 1205: Good ideas are no guarantee

Here is an individual who had all the great ideas on his different ventures , but his execution didnt always worked out well. In many cases other people did a better job at executing it.

Connect these images to a business personality.

Answer: Lalit Modi/Modi group.

OBQ 1204: Changing the game.

This world sport is defined by too many rules and not just the rules about how the sport is played, but also how many time different tournaments are organized and where in the world.

However some legendary sportsmen and businessmen have come together to change that with launch of this tournament.

Identify the tournament from its logo.

Answer: Laver Cup

OBQ 1203: Drone shot of Tulip boom.

Businesses are not always good at forecasting, governments are worse! Here is one such boom that went as badly as the Tulip booms of yesteryears.

Here is a drone shot of how the failure looks like.

Tell me what latest boom and bust am I referring to?

Answer: This is the bicycle junkyard in China, where they over estimated the impact of bike sharing apps on bicycle sale.