MUMBAI - India's daily rise in coronavirus infections stayed below 40,000 for a fourth straight day, as 35,551 new cases took the tally to 9.53 millon, health ministry data showed on Thursday.

India's daily rate has fallen since the south Asian nation reported the world's highest such tallies through most of August and September, despite a busy festival season last month that experts had warned could trigger a spike in infections.

But its tally remains the world's second highest after the United States, where the figure is 13.7 million.

Deaths in India rose by 526, taking the toll to 138,648, the ministry added.

(Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) ((shilpa.jamkhandikar@thomsonreuters.com;))