For more than three decades, Dr. Rajan Mahtani has been working passionately towards overall development of the Zambian nation along with developing and growing his own businesses. He is the owner of successful companies like Mahtani Group of Companies, Finsbury Investments and Finance Bank Zambia. Dr. Rajan Mahtani is also known for his philanthropic and charitable activities. One of his major philanthropic contributions has been the creation of Steven Malama award. The Steven Malama award is one of the most reputational award in Zambian education sector. The award was instituted in collaboration with Finance Bank Zambia where Dr. Rajan Mahtani holds the position of the Chairman. The award was created in 2012 and since 2013, it is given to deserving law students.
The Steven Malama award is given to the top graduating student at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education. The topper must also qualify for bar in their first attempt. Furthermore, the award carries a plaque, a certificate and cash prize worth K15,000. This cash prize has provided significant financial support to the deserving candidates, especially those belonging to difficult financial backgrounds. The award for the year 2018-19 was given to Emmanuel Bawalya Kaluba, the topper of the year from the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education. After receiving the award, Emmanuel wrote an article thanking Dr. Rajan Mahtani for his significant contributions for Zambian education as well as raising awareness for legal education in Zambia. The article was later published at the ‘Reader’s Forum’ of the Daily Mail, a noted newspaper media at Zambia.
Despite the significant economic and political challenges, Dr. Rajan Mahtani continues to work for the betterment of the Zambian society.