Increase of 52% to $10.3bn in 2011 was based on strong solar performance

India's transformation into a cleantech powerhouse moved up a gear in 2011 when it racked up investments of $10.3bn in the sector, a growth rate of 52 per cent year on year that dwarfed the rest of the world's significant economies.

Solar investments led the growth with a seven-fold increase in funding, from $0.6bn in 2010 to $4.2bn in 2011, just below the $4.6bn invested in wind during the year, according to figures released yesterday by analysts Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

BANGKOK, 14 October 2011 (IRIN) - By some measures, Bangladesh is modernizing rapidly - one in two residents now owns a cell phone. However, when it comes to basic sanitation, progress is clogged.

While some point to obstacles of funding and a lack of political leadership, others say toilets, despite their long-established health benefits, have an image problem.

India's new national census puts the population at about 1.21 billion people, or 17 per cent of the world population, the census commissioner says.

The increase of 181 million over the last decade is near what officials had estimated, C. Chandramauli said Thursday. While it is a 17.6 per cent increase from the 2001 census, population growth is slower than the previous count that showed 21.5 per cent growth.