Trivalent neodymium ion (Nd 3+ ) activated sodium magnesium borosilicate glasses having composition (60 – x) B 2 O 3 –20SiO 2 – 10 Na 2 O – 10 MgO – x Nd 2 O 3 (where x = 0, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12, 0.16, 0.2 mol%) were synthesized by melt quenching method to study the structural, physical, optical and thermoluminescence behaviour. The physical parameters like molar volume, density, molecular weight, average boron-boron separation, field strength, ion concentration, polaron radius, interionic distance, oxygen packing density and optical basicity were obtained. The structural information was acquired through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD spectra suggested the amorphous nature of present media and FTIR spectra highlighted the bands present in this amorphous media. To study the optical parameters such as direct band gap, indirect band gap, refractive index, optical dielectric constant, reflection loss, dielectric constant, molar refractivity, molar polarizability, metallization, electronic polarizability, oxide ion polarizability, transmission coefficient, energy band gap based metallization criterion, refractive index based metallization criterion, non-linear optical susceptibility, non-linear refractive index and Urbach model, optical absorption spectra was recorded in the range of 190–1100 nm. These glasses were irradiated with gamma rays to study the thermoluminescence glow curve at six different doses such as 50 Gy, 100 Gy, 500 Gy, 1 kGy, 5 kGy and 10 kGy. The trapping or kinetic parameters like frequency factor, activation energy and kinetic order were also studied by using peak shape method. Linear dose response curve indicates that the 59.92 B 2 O 3 – 20 SiO 2 – 10 Na 2 O – 10 MgO – 0.08 Nd 2 O 3 sample can be considered as a potential candidate for radiation dosimetry. • Fabrication of Trivalent neodymium ion (Nd 3+ ) activated sodium magnesium borosilicate glasses. • The density increases from 1.616 to 2.079 (gcm −3 ) with increase in Nd 2 O 3 concentration from 0 to 0.2 mol%. • The direct and indirect band gap energy values decrease from 3.408 to 3.253 eV and 1.537–1.446 eV respectively with increase in content of Nd 2 O 3 . • 59.92 B 2 O 3 – 20 SiO 2 – 10 Na 2 O – 10 MgO – 0.08 Nd 2 O 3 sample can be considered as a potential candidate for radiation dosimetry.