INDA

What INDA does

INDA, formally the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, is a U.S.-headquartered, nonprofit trade association founded in 1968 and based in Cary, North Carolina. It serves hundreds of member companies — including enterprise manufacturers such as Berry Global, Freudenberg Performance Materials, Fitesa, and Kimberly-Clark — across the nonwoven and engineered fabrics value chain, providing industry-leading events (World of Wipes, IDEA, FiltXPO, RISE, Hygienix), professional development courses from elementary to advanced levels delivered in partnership with The Nonwovens Institute at NC State University, and an INDA Media publishing arm producing the International Fiber Journal and International Filtration News.

At the core of INDA's technology and intellectual property are the Nonwoven Standard Procedures (NWSP) and the seven standardized Flushability Test Methods (FG501-FG507), which together function as de facto industry test methods. INDA also maintains the Quality and Audit Program (QAP), publishes research and market-intelligence reports, and operates an online store with approximately 138 SKUs spanning conference proceedings, handbooks, primers, and individual test-method documents. Distribution is delivered through the Cary, NC headquarters, a Raleigh, NC training facility at NC State, and a Washington, D.C. Government Affairs office providing advocacy representation on issues including flushability labeling and plastics regulation.

INDA's revenue model is a hybrid of subscription-recurring (membership dues), transaction-fee (event registrations, exhibit space, sponsor packages across the five flagship conferences), professional-services (training courses priced between $370 and $3,300 per attendee), and one-time publication/test-method sales. The association supports chapters and committees in sustainability, technical affairs, government affairs, and education, and co-founded the Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA) with EDANA to extend education and professional development globally. INDA is governed by a member board, is not publicly traded, and has no disclosed external ownership or venture-capital backing.

Name

INDA

Legal name

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

Website

https://inda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, is a Cary, NC-based nonprofit trade association serving hundreds of member companies across the nonwoven and engineered fabrics value chain with industry events, professional development, technical standards, market intelligence, and government affairs advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: INDA operates as a membership-based association with hundreds of member companies. Members pay dues to access industry resources, networking, advocacy, market intelligence, and discounted event pricing.
2. Events and Conferences: Revenue generated from major industry events including World of Wipes (WOW), IDEA, FiltXPO, RISE, and HYGIENIX conferences. These flagship events serve as significant revenue sources and networking opportunities.
3. Training Courses: Professional development courses ranging from elementary to advanced nonwovens training, wipes development, filter media, and absorbent hygiene. Courses offered at various price points for members and non-members.
4. Publications and Research Reports: Sale of market intelligence reports, conference proceedings, handbooks, primers, and technical publications including the Global Nonwoven Markets Report, Market Pulse reports, and Price Trend reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

INDA is a membership-based trade association serving hundreds of companies in the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry. It delivers industry-leading conferences (WOW, IDEA, FiltXPO, RISE, Hygienix), professional development training courses, proprietary technical standards and test methods (NWSP and Flushability Test Methods), market intelligence reports, government affairs advocacy, and B2B publishing through INDA Media. Members include nonwoven fabric manufacturers, raw material suppliers, machinery makers, converters, and brand owners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• World of Wipes (WOW): International conference focused on the wipes industry
• FiltXPO
• IDEA
• RISE
• HYGIENIX
• INDA Media

Products and services

• INDA Membership
• World of Wipes (WOW) International Conference
• IDEA - International Nonwovens Exposition
• FiltXPO - Filtration Industry Trade Event
• RISE Conference
• Hygienix Conference
• Elementary Nonwovens Training Course
• Spunbond Technology Course
• Wipes Development Course
• Sustainability Introduction for Nonwovens Professionals
• Filter Media Course
• Carded Nonwoven Technology Course
• Absorbent Hygiene Course
• Nonwoven Standard Procedures (NWSP)
• Flushability Test Methods
• Market Intelligence Reports
• Government Affairs and Advocacy
• INDA Media Publications
• International Nonwovens Directory
• Global Nonwovens Alliance E-Learning Initiative
• Quality and Audit Program (QAP)

Quantifiable outcome

• 55+ years of industry service and advocacy
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• The Nonwovens Institute at NC State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) at North Carolina State University for professional development and training. INDA and NWI jointly deliver advanced training courses including Spunbond Technology, Carded Nonwoven Technology, and Intermediate Nonwovens at NWI's state-of-the-art facilities in Raleigh, NC.
• Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINDA co-founded the Global Nonwovens Alliance, a collaborative initiative to strengthen industry knowledge and professional development globally. GNA launched an e-learning initiative in June 2026 to provide scalable global learning pathways across the nonwovens value chain.
• EDANAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDANA is INDA's European counterpart, the international association serving nonwovens industries worldwide. The organizations collaborate on harmonized test methods, industry guidelines, and co-host events. EDANA owns INDEX, the world's leading nonwovens show. Joint efforts include the Flushability Task Force coordination and standards development.
• EDANAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINDA partners with EDANA on global nonwovens education, offering EDANA's Online Nonwovens Course as part of INDA's flexible learning options alongside INDA and NWI programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EDANA: EDANA is the international (European-headquartered) trade association serving the nonwovens and related industries, INDA's named international counterpart. They co-launch programs (GNA e-learning), co-develop harmonized test methods, and operate complementary flagship events (EDANA's INDEX vs INDA's IDEA), making them the closest direct peer.
• TAPPI: TAPPI is the leading association for the pulp, paper, packaging, and converting industries, with significant overlap into nonwovens (which share fiber and converting technologies). Like INDA, TAPPI runs industry conferences, professional development courses, standards/test methods, and market intelligence reports for a comparable membership base.
• AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists): AATCC is the U.S.-based textile industry association providing testing standards, professional development, and conferences for the broader textile value chain that includes nonwovens. INDA already cross-promotes AATCC programs (e.g., AATCC Coloration Conference listed on INDA's site), reflecting their direct overlap in audience, standards work, and event formats.
• Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI): IFAI is a U.S.-headquartered trade association for the industrial fabrics industry, covering engineered textiles with substantial overlap with INDA's nonwovens membership and conferences. It mirrors INDA's association model (membership dues, events like IFAI Expo, technical resources, and advocacy).
• American Filtration & Separations Society (AFS): AFS is the U.S. society serving the filtration and separations industry, directly adjacent to INDA's FiltXPO event and nonwoven filter-media training programs. It provides technical conferences, short courses, and a member community that competes for the same filtration-segment professionals and sponsors.

Broad incumbents

• ASTM International: ASTM International is a globally recognized standards developing organization that, like INDA, produces consensus standards used by manufacturers, including materials relevant to nonwovens. ASTM competes as a broader incumbent for standards work that INDA pursues via its NWSP and Flushability Test Methods portfolio.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): NAM is the largest U.S. manufacturing trade association, providing broad government affairs, events, and member services to industrial companies including many of INDA's members. It operates as a broader-incumbent alternative for advocacy and policy representation that competes for member attention and lobbying resources.

Emerging players

• Textile Exchange: Textile Exchange is the global nonprofit focused on preferred fiber and materials, with growing overlap with INDA's sustainability agenda, RISE conference themes, and standards work. It is an emerging player establishing itself in standards and certification, areas where INDA also competes or partners.

Others

• INDA Media (sub-brand): INDA Media is INDA's B2B publishing arm producing International Fiber Journal and International Filtration News, broadly comparable to independent trade publishers like Rodman Media serving the same fiber/filtration vertical. It functions as an internal publishing peer that other trade-publication companies compete with for ad and sponsorship dollars in the nonwovens/filtration space.

Regional players

• Techtextil / Messe Frankfurt Exhibitions: Techtextil is the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens organized by Messe Frankfurt, primarily serving Europe and Asia with overlap to INDA's IDEA and WOW events. It is a regional-player comparable competitor for the same exhibitor and attendee dollars in different geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/INDANonwovens
• Facebookfacebook.com/INDAnonwovens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inda-association-of-the-nonwoven-fabrics-industry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INDA