With 15,388 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally has climbed to 1,12,44,786, while the number of recoveries has surged to 1,08,99,394, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

The death toll due to the viral disease has gone up to 1,57,930 in the country with 77 more fatalities, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.

After registering an increase for six consecutive days, the number of active COVID-19 cases has gone down to 1,87,462, accounting for only 1.67 per cent of the country's total caseload, while the case fatality rate has dropped to 1.40 per cent.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 1,08,99,394, which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 96.93 per cent.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year, the 30-lakh mark on August 23, the 40-lakh mark on September 5 and the 50-lakh mark on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 22,27,16,796 samples have so far been tested in the country for the viral disease, including 7,48,525 on Monday.

The 77 new fatalities include 22 from Maharashtra, 14 from Punjab and 12 from Kerala.

Of the total 1,57,930 COVID-19 deaths reported so far in the country, Maharashtra accounts for the highest number of 52,500, followed by Tamil Nadu (12,521), Karnataka (12,367), Delhi (10,924), West Bengal (10,280), Uttar Pradesh (8,738) and Andhra Pradesh (7,176).

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that a state-wise distribution of the figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.