Business Beyond blueprints: Melwa calls for collaboration to forge smart cities Amidst global projections that nearly 70% of the world’s population will reside in cities by 2050, Melwa Conglomerate has underscored that collaboration, innovation, and strategic foresight are the non-negotiable pillars for building resilient and sustainable urban futures. At its annual “Night of the Generals” gathering on 27 February at Cinnamon Life, the conglomerate assembled leaders from construction, finance, and engineering to move beyond siloed thinking. A centerpiece talk show on “Smart and Resilient Cities” featured international experts George Kunihiro and Naveed Anwar, who stressed integrating technology with resilient engineering to manage surging pressure on urban infrastructure. Melwa used the platform to argue that no single entity can solve tomorrow’s urban challenges alone. Instead, the interconnected nature of modern development demands active cross-industry dialogue. The event served as a strategic call to action: aligning local perspectives with global expertise to transform Sri Lanka’s evolving urban landscape. For Melwa, the evening was more than an annual gathering—it was a testament to its long-standing industrial role and a deliberate push for a more integrated approach. As Sri Lanka looks to the future, The session brought out that sustainable cities will not be built by blueprints alone, but through shared knowledge, bold innovation, and collective strategic vision. Business NTB emerges stronger with clean books and capital muscle, signalling upside potential Nations Trust Bank PLC (NTB) is emerging as a well-capitalised bank with cleaner books and a resilient earnings profile, positioning itself for a stronger growth phase in the coming years, according to First Capital Research.At a time when investor confidence in frontier markets is often dictated by balance sheet strength and earnings visibility, NTB appears to be ticking both boxes, according to the research firm’s earnings update of the bank. The bank closed