The effect of host glass composition on the optical absorption and fluorescence spectra of Nd 3+ has been studied in mixed alkali borate glasses of the type 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25). Various spectroscopic parameters such as Racah (E 1 , E 2 and E 3 ), spin-orbit (ξ 4f ) and configuration interaction (α, β) parameters have been calculated. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters ( λ ) have been calculated and the radiative transition probabilities (A rad ), radiative lifetimes (τ r ), branching ratios (β) and integrated absorption cross sections ( ) have been obtained for certain excited states of the Nd 3+ ion and are discussed with respect to x. From the fluorescence spectra, the effective fluorescence line widths ( λ eff ) and stimulated emission cross sections (σ p ) have been obtained for the three transitions 4 F 3/2 → 4 I 9/2 , 4 F 3/2 → 4 I 11/2 and 4 F 3/2 → 4 I 13/2 of Nd 3+ . The stimulated emission cross section (σ p ) values are found to be in the range (2.0-4.8) × 10 −20 cm 2 and they are large enough to indicate that the mixed alkali borate glasses could be potential laser host materials.