SUMMARYA simple generalized theory is developed for optical gain of nonparabolic semiconductor lasers based on the three‐band model of Kane, by taking into account the wave‐vector () dependence of the optical matrix element. The gain in laser of nonparabolic semiconductors is demonstrated, by taking InAs, InSb, Hg1−xCdxTe and In1−xGaxAsyP1−y lattice matched to InP as examples, and it has been found that the peak of the gain spectra for a given carrier density is higher in the three‐band model of Kane than those with parabolic energy band approximations in all the cases. The difference between the peak of gain spectra for three‐band model and the parabolic band model is greater for laser of narrow band gap materials in comparisons with that of laser of wide band gap materials, thereby reveals the necessity for inclusion of the nonparabolicity in modeling lasers of small band gap materials. The well‐known results for wide band gap materials having parabolic energy bands has also been obtained from our generalized formulation under certain limiting condition. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.