It is very simple.

You need the form, it's downloadable from your canton's local road office website.

You need a confirmatory eye test, go to an optician with your filled out form, they will stamp it.

A colour passport photo.

Your residence permit.

Your original licence.

Money.

You must do it 1 year after settling in Switzerland at the latest, and your licence must be valid (thanks u/jeffrallen), although I do know of 2 people who did it after 2 years, and they were given the licence without question. Do not use them as a reason to wait, I guess they were exceptions.

Go to your road traffic office, it might be part of a police station or entirely separate, when they are open and have the counter open, just get a ticket, wait your turn, sit down, say hello, give your documents, they will take them and mail your new licence to you.

Uh, maybe 2500-3500 CHF in total.

The costs that I can think of:

• organisational cost, like paying for the license and the fee for the actual driver test, maybe 150 CHF

• driving lessons, approximately 90-100 CHF per lesson, people typically need around 10-20 lessons, let's say 1000-2000 CHF

• a first aid course ("Nothelfer"), I think about 200 CHF

• "Verkehrskunde", course teaching you about dangers while driving and whatnot, maybe 350 CHF

• Two courses after doing the driver test, each taking one day, you'll have to do them withing 3 years: I think around 350 CHF each, so 700 in total

I think the only thing that you could really save a substantial amount of money is the number of lessons you need/take. All the rest is absolutely mandatory and there are not large price differences between the different providers (although it's a good idea to compare some offers).

I think some driving instructors recommend like 30 or more lessons, but I'd guess most people are fine with like 10 to 20.

The US license is good for one year. No need for an international license. Getting the Swiss license entails talking a 10 minute eye exam at a glasses store and a 10 minute meeting at the DMV. They will take your American license away and send it back in the mail. The people who have their license permanently taken away come from EU countries and other countries where their drivers license is not their primary form of identification. It is worth mentioning that the license needs to be something like a year old (not recently issued).

https://www.polizei.bs.ch/verkehr/motorfahrzeugkontrolle/lernfahr-fuehrerausweise/fuehrerausweis/umzug-zuzug-wegzug.html

Put that in a browser that translates. I believe it says that if your license has been valid for less than 12 months when you take up Swiss residence, you can convert but the license ‘is on trial’. I thought Indians had to retake the practical test. Not sure. Good luck!