Shalu's current research focusses on understanding the residential electricity use and consumption patterns in India with the help of surveys and smart metering devices. The work aims to identify strategies for effective supply and demand-side management in the power sector.

Shalu has been associated with The Council in the past, when she led the work on sustainable approaches for the deployment of solar pumps, besides working on fossil fuel subsidies reform, renewable energy finance, and future energy scenarios. She has also worked with Initiative for Sustainable Energy Policy (ISEP) and Smart Power India, where she analysed rural electricity demand and its drivers, based on large-scale household and enterprise surveys.

Shalu holds a master’s degree in Economics and Policy of Energy and Environment from University College London, where she was a Chevening Scholar. She also holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee.