India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 96.08 lakh with 36,652 new cases in a day, while 90,58,822 people have recuperated from the disease so far pushing the national recovery rate to 94.28 per cent on Saturday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The total coronavirus cases mounted to 96,08,211 and the death toll climbed to 1,39,700 with the coronavirus claiming 512 lives in a span of 24 hours in the country, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The COVID-19 case fatality rate was recorded at 1.45 per cent.

There are 4,09,689 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 4.26 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 14,58,85,512 samples have been tested up to December 4 with 11,57,763 samples being tested on Friday.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and 40 lakh on September 5. It went past 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11 and crossed 80 lakh on October 29 and 90 lakh on November 20.

The 512 new fatalities include 127 from Maharashtra, 73 from Delhi, 52 from Bengal, 29 each from Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, 20 from Punjab, 19 from Haryana, 15 from Chhattisgarh and 13 from Karnataka.

A total of 1,39,700 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 47,599 from Maharashtra followed by 11,834 from Karnataka, 11,762 from Tamil Nadu, 9,497 from Delhi, 8,628 from West Bengal, 7,877 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,020 from Andhra Pradesh, 4,882 from Punjab and 4,049 from Gujarat.

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 state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.