After acquiring a Bachelor of Agriculture in 1999, Shalini continued her Masters studies in food technology, quality assurance option at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom in 2000.

She obtained a doctorate in food science and technology in 2011 from the University of Mauritius.
She joined the Ministry of Agro-industry and Food Security as a technical manager in 2001, after which she was appointed research and development manager in 2002, then senior research and development manager in 2007.

In 2018, she was promoted to chief scientific officer for the food science and technology division, a position she still holds today. She works in the field of food testing at the food technology laboratory (ISO 17025 accredited laboratory and COMESA reference).
She started collaborating with CIRAD through the Qualireg network in 2012. She was also the Qualireg focal point for Mauritius. Her research interests are in the areas of food safety, food microbiology, food control system, quality assurance and food trade. She has also contributed to the writing of articles and technical reports on food control systems and food safety. Shalini is the Codex point of contact for Mauritius and actively participates in the development of food standards and conformity assessment standards at the Mauritius Standards Bureau.