Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said whenever India's neighbour has done any nefarious act, it has been given a befitting reply as he asserted that any misadventure will draw an effective response.

Singh made the remarks while addressing the Indian diaspora in Hanoi, Vietnam.

"Whenever our neighbour has done any 'napak harqat' (nefarious act) -- and by 'napak', you must have understood exactly whose actions I am referring to-- every time, it has been given a befitting reply. Now, they should not do it henceforth," he said without naming Pakistan.

"Sometimes, indirectly with aid of terrorism, they try to destabilise India, and weaken India. But, I want to assure you on behalf of the government and as a defence minister of the country that if any attempt is made to threaten India's sovereignty, then our country has the capability to effectively respond and India will effectively respond," Singh said.

Addressing the gathering, the defence minister also recalled Operation Sindoor that India launched in May last year in response to the deadly Pahalgam attack.

A poster themed on Operation Sindoor was also mounted on the dais, near the podium where he spoke from.

"Our defence personnel have worked wonders (in that operation)," he added.

Singh underlined that as far as "no first use" is concerned, it is India's commitment that "no first use was there" and the commitment will be there.

"But that is our commitment, though India will not accept any kind of nuclear blackmail," he asserted.

The defence minister on Monday embarked on a four-day visit to Vietnam and South Korea to explore ways to shore up strategic defence cooperation, including joint production of military hardware.

Before leaving for Vietnam's capital Hanoi, Singh said the focus of his trip to the two Asian nations will be to strengthen defence industrial partnerships, boost maritime collaboration and promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

After concluding his trip to Vietnam, the defence minister will travel to South Korea on Tuesday on a three-day visit.

In his address at the event in Hanoi, he expressed his gratitude to Vietnamese government for taking care of the Indian diaspora.

"Vietnam is not very big in size (as a country), neither it is big in population, but I can say it with confidence Vietnam holds its stature and power in terms of potential," he said.

Singh underlined that India of today is distinct from the India of the past, as its stature has grown in the international community.

"More than 30 countries have bestowed their highest honours on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There had been no decrease in his acceptance or popularity, as it was 12 years ago, he has even become more popular," the defence minister said.

Prime Minister Modi was on Monday conferred with Norway's highest civilian honour, the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, for his contribution in advancing the India-Norway relationship and his leadership. This is Modi's 32nd international honour.

At the event, Singh also praised the BJP-led government at the Centre, saying that "after staying in power for a long time, a sense of anti-incumbency can creep in. But, our government has never faced any impact of it".

He added that in West Bengal and Assam, the BJP formed governments with a "clear and huge majority", and it is the result of "popularity of our PM".

"And, our achievements are due to fair elections," he said.

Singh added that India is now a strong country and asserted that self-reliance, equality and social justice have increased in the last 12 years, which he described as a "transformative decade".